BACKGROUND: Nonspecific neck pain is associated with chronic pain, disability, reduced cervical mobility, postural control disorders and impaired proprioceptive control. AIM: To compare the effectiveness of two therapeutic exercise programs (ie, cervical proprioception and cervical mobility) in reducing pain and disability in individuals with nonspecific neck pain. We further aimed to compare the effectiveness of the two treatments in improving pressure pain threshold, cervical range of motion and head repositioning accuracy. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Private rehabilitation clinic. POPULATION: Forty-two participants diagnosed with nonspecific neck pain, aged 18 to 65 years, were randomized to a cervical mobility group (n = 22) or a proprioception group (n = 20). METHODS: The cervical mobility group combined a passive treatment and active mobility exercises, whereas the proprioception group combined a passive treatment and proprioceptive exercises. Pain intensity, disability, pressure pain threshold, range of motion, and head repositioning accuracy were assessed at baseline and after 10 sessions. RESULTS: Pain intensity and disability significantly improved for both interventions (p < 0.01), but such improvement was greater for pain intensity in the proprioception group than in the cervical mobility group (p < 0.01). Pressure pain threshold, range of motion and head repositioning accuracy improved only in the proprioception group (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A program based on cervical proprioception exercises improves pain, disability, pressure pain threshold, range of motion and head repositioning accuracy in patients with nonspecific neck pain. However, a program based on cervical mobility exercises only improves pain intensity and disability, while such improvement is not clinically relevant.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PubMed
• PDF locator
• publisher