The applicability of proprioceptive and endurance measurement protocols to treat patients with chronic non-specific neck pain

Abstract

Background: Neck pain constitutes a common disorder in modern societies. Numerous complications and episodes of recurrence have been observed with neck pain while few statistically evidence-based exercise protocols have been designed. The objective of this study was to detect and compare the applicability of two proprioceptive and endurance measurement protocols to treat patients with chronic non-specific neck pain. Methods: This was a single blinded, randomized clinical trial conducted at Mostapha Khomeini Hospital, Behbahan, Iran. Forty seven patients (16 males and 31 females) with chronic non-specific neck pain participated in this study. Subjects were randomized into two groups: endurance training and proprioceptive training. Each training was performed for ten subsequent days. A pressure biofeedback was used to measure the endurance of neck muscles and a laser resource device to measure the cervicocranial joint position error prior to therapy, on fifth, tenth sessions after the 1 st day of treatment and 45 days after the last treatment day. Results: Significant differences were found between before and after therapy in terms of endurance index, joint position error, and pain measurments (p<0.05, p<0.01 and p<0.05) in both groups. After therapy, endurance index was significantly more pronounced in the endurance group, whereas the improvement in joint position error index was more pronounced in the proprioceptive group. Conclusion: The use of endurance and proprioceptive based measurement programs as was used in this study can be recommended to improve endurance, reduce proprioceptive error and pain in patients with chronic non-specific neck pain. Endurance exercise was a more efficient method for improving endurance and proprioceptive training was better in resolving joint position error and pain. Both protocols appeared to be applicable to treat patients with chronic non-specific neck pain.