Effects of Routine Physical Therapy with and Without Home-based Exercise Manual on Pain and Disability in Patients of Postural Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Neck pain is the second most commonly occurring musculoskeletal ailment after back pain. Persistent pain in the neck which might be due to the poor posture of the neck has the capability to cause alteration in the cervical spine biomechanics.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of routine physical therapy with and without a home-based exercise manual on pain and disability in patients with postural neck pain.

Methodology: Seventy-five participants suffering from postural neck pain were recruited and sealed envelope method was used for the randomization of participants into group A (RPT treatment) and group B (RPT treatment, along with a manual of home-based exercises). All the participants were interviewed about history of their postural neck pain and completion of physical examination before 1st treatment session and then physical assessment was done after 3 weeks. Both the groups visited the physical therapy department for physical therapy followed the instructions and performed exercises at their homes. The main outcome measure was the Numeric Pain Rating Scale and secondary outcome measures included functional disability i.e. Neck Disability Index.

Results: Seventy-five participants who completed a follow-up of 3 weeks were 71.4% males and 28.6% females in Group A, and 77.5% males and 22.5% females in Group B. The results regarding comparison of pain showed mean, SD at baseline were 8.22±.80 and 7.10±1.15, at 1st week 6.97±.61 and 4.82±1.05, and 3rd week 5.77±0.58 and 2.32±.97, in Group A and Group B respectively, and for Neck Disability Index showed at baseline 33.71±3.38 and 29.62±2.57, 1st week 28.68±3.40 and 22.62±3.75, and 3rd week 23.82±3.14 and 11.75±2.52 in RPT Group and RPT along with home-based exercise manual Group while improvement was significant, p-value <0.001.

Conclusion: The study concluded that the home-based exercise manual along with RPT illustrated significant effects among the postural neck pain patient, reduced the intensity of pain and the risk of disability.

Keywords: Disability, Exercise, Pain, Physical therapy, Postural neck pain

Trial registry number: NCT05261698