Clinical Research Directory
Browse clinical research sites, groups, and studies.
Effects of Education and Exercise on Pain, Psychosocial Factors, and Upper Limb Function in Non-specific Neck Pain.
Sponsor: Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche
Summary
Pain neuroscience education is currently one of the techniques being explored in physiotherapy for pain management. The benefits of this technique are gradually becoming evident in various published studies. So far, it has been widely studied for its short-term effects, but the education provided has typically been generic, not focused on exercise. However, it is suggested that this technique should be combined with exercise to achieve the expected outcomes. Therefore, pain education should be tailored to the specific physical activities the subject will perform to maximise its effectiveness. The primary aim of this study is to analyse the outcome of combining exercise with tailored pain neuroscience education on aspects such as pain, kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, exercise conceptualization, and upper limb function in subjects with neck pain. The secondary aim is to evaluate the relationship between kinesiophobia and catastrophizing and their impact on the results of various upper limb performance tests. Finally, the effects of therapeutic exercise alone will be compared with those of therapeutic exercise combined with pain neuroscience education, focusing on pain, kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, and exercise conceptualization. A double-blind, randomised clinical trial has been designed, in which three intervention protocols will be applied to 81 subjects with non-specific neck pain: education with exercise, exercise alone, and placebo alone. Subjects with non-specific neck pain who meet the inclusion criteria will be enrolled. Demographic characteristics of the subjects, as well as pain, kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, and upper limb performance test scores, will be assessed. This study aims to explore the potential relevance of a pain neuroscience education session prior to therapeutic exercise, as well as to influence the clinical recommendations made by clinicians during treatment.
Official title: Effects of Pain Neuroscience Education and Therapeutic Exercise on Pain, Catastrophizing, Kinesiophobia and Upper Limb Function in Patients With Non-specific Neck Pain.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 65 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
81
Start Date
2025-03-28
Completion Date
2026-10-30
Last Updated
2025-12-29
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Education
The intervention consists of 20 minutes of pain neuroscience education, focused on concepts related to movement-related fear and the benefits of exercise for managing pain. Specific exercises, mentioned in the generic part of the procedure, will be discussed during this session. This intervention aims to modify the subjects' beliefs regarding exercises and their neck pain.
Excercise
The exercise intervention includes performance tests and variations of these tests used as exercises, such as the Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test, Single Arm Military Press, and Seated Medicine Ball Throw. Variations of these performance tests will be implemented, with adjustments made to the load or execution time until the participant reports a perceived fatigue of 4-6 (moderate to strong) on the modified Borg scale.
Placebo
The placebo intervention involves the application of a TENS device, which will be placed on the participant and kept turned off for 15 minutes. Subjects will be informed that the device is working at a very low intensity, too weak to be perceived. This intervention aims to simulate the experience of treatment without delivering any therapeutic effect.
Locations (1)
Clínica de Franscisco Ortega Rehabilitación Avanzada S.L.
Elche, Alicante, Spain