Abstract
Neck pain is a serious problem for public health. This study aimed to compare the effects of thermotherapy plus neck stabilization exercise versus neck stabilization exercise alone on pain, neck disability, muscle properties, and alignment of the neck and shoulder in the elderly with chronic nonspecific neck pain. This study is a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Thirty-five individuals with chronic nonspecific neck pain were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 18) or control (n = 17) groups. The intervention group received thermotherapy with a salt-pack for 30 min and performed a neck stabilization exercise for 40 min twice a day for 5 days (10 sessions). The control group performed a neck stabilization exercise at the same time points. Pain intensity, pain pressure threshold (PPT), neck disability index, muscle properties, and alignment of the neck and shoulder were evaluated before and after the intervention. Significant time and group interactions were observed for pain at rest (p < 0.001) and during movement (p < 0.001), and for PPT at the upper-trapezius (p < 0.001), levator-scapula (p = 0.003), and splenius-capitis (p = 0.001). The disability caused by neck pain also significantly changed between groups over time (p = 0.005). In comparison with the control group, the intervention group showed significant improvements in muscle properties for the upper-trapezius (tone, p = 0.021; stiffness, p = 0.017), levator-scapula (stiffness, p = 0.025; elasticity, p = 0.035), and splenius-capitis (stiffness, p = 0.012), and alignment of the neck (p = 0.016) and shoulder (p < 0.001) over time. These results recommend the clinical use of salt pack thermotherapy in addition to neck stabilization exercise as a complementary intervention for chronic nonspecific neck pain control.
Highlights
Neck pain is a common health problem with a lifetime prevalence of 14.2% to 71% in the adult population and is considered a major problem for public health [1]
Fifteen individuals were excluded from participating; 13 did not meet the inclusion criteria and two declined to participate. Because individuals scheduled their problems, in the intervention group, one individual did not participate in the final assessment
This study is the first investigation to demonstrate that 10 sessions of salt pack thermotherapy plus neck stabilization exercise provide benefits that are superior to those of neck stability exercise alone on pain intensity, pain pressure threshold (PPT), neck disability, muscle properties, and body alignment in individuals with chronic nonspecific neck pain
Summary
Neck pain is a common health problem with a lifetime prevalence of 14.2% to 71% in the adult population and is considered a major problem for public health [1]. Korean women of middle and older age have a prevalence of 20.8% [2]. The common presentation of neck pain is nonspecific neck pain, defined as simple neck pain without a specific underlying disease causing the pain, which results from postural and mechanical causes [3,4]. Appropriate management of nonspecific neck pain is essential because chronic neck pain results in increased muscle tone, restricted cervical range of motion, functional impairments of activities of daily living, and decreased quality of life [4]. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 5572; doi:10.3390/ijerph17155572 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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