General neck-shoulder exercises vs. specific neck muscle training for chronic neck pain

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Created On: 03/01/2024

This single-blinded randomized clinical trial sought to investigate the impact of targeted neck muscle training and general neck-shoulder exercises on neck proprioception, disability, and pain levels among individuals experiencing neck pain.

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Key take away

Both general neck-shoulder range of motion exercises and specific deep neck muscle exercises, including eye-head coordination exercises, have the potential to be effective in enhancing neck proprioceptive acuity, reducing pain, and alleviating disability in individuals with chronic non-specific neck pain.

Background

Method

Overall, 25 neck pain-affected subjects were enrolled. They were randomly allocated to either the specific neck exercise group (n = 13, mean age 24 years) or the general neck exercise group (n = 12, mean age 25 years). Specific neck exercises encompassed activities like eye-head coordination and isometric deep neck muscle exercises, while general neck exercises comprised free-range neck and shoulder movements and shoulder shrugs. Pain, disability, and neck proprioception, as indicated by joint repositioning error, were assessed at baseline and after an eight-week training period for both groups.

Result

Pain decreased substantially in both groups (F = 61.118, effect size [ES] = 0.31). In the general neck exercises group, 41.5% of participants reported a 50% drop in pain, while for the specific neck exercises group, it was 38.5%.

Both exercise groups also illustrated remarkable improvements in joint repositioning error (F = 24.144, ES = 0.8) and disability (F = 6.937, ES = 0.60). Notably, the specific neck exercise group exhibited greater variability in joint repositioning error (F = 0.20, F critical = 0.36).

Conclusion

Both targeted neck exercises and general neck-shoulder range of motion exercises proved efficacious in ameliorating neck proprioception, pain, and disability. Consequently, exercise recommendations can be tailored based on patient comfort and individual limitations.