The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of virtual reality, which encourages active neck movements, in individuals with chronic neck pain, with the control group receiving only neck exercises. Participants will be randomly divided into two groups; Half of them will be given only a neck exercises program, and the other half will be given neck exercises and virtual reality.
Individuals with chronic neck pain tend to have low levels of endurance in deep neck flexor muscles. Conservative treatments for neck pain, including posture education, strengthening, range of motion, motor control, flexibility, and proprioceptive training, are recommended in clinical guidelines. Virtual reality has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of various issues related to pain in previous systematic reviews. Distracting attention is one of the mechanisms explaining the impact of virtual reality on pain. It is believed that virtual reality reduces pain perception by influencing pain pathways.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
46
Participants will perform a 20-minute exercise program consisting of neck joint mobility exercises, neck and scapulothoracic muscle strengthening exercises, and stretching exercises. Then, for the next 20 minutes, they will engage in active neck movements using the Oculus Quest2 headset with the Ocean Rift game.
The control group will perform a 40-minute same neck exercises.
Koc University School of Medicine
Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)
Neck disability index
Neck disability index was used to determine the pain experience and functional disability of the participants. It consists of 10 questions concern of the pain severity, ability for personal care, lifting weight, job capability headache intensity, concentration, quality of sleeping and driving and recreation activities. Total score ranges between 0 to 50 points. Zero to four points mean "no disability", 5 to 14 points mean "light disability", 15 to 24 points mean "moderate disability", 25 to 34 points mean "severe disability", and 35 to 50 points mean "complete disability".
Time frame: 8 weeks
Visual analog scale
Visual analog scale is a self-reported scale consisting of a horizontal line (10 cm long) with anchor points of zero for "no pain" and ten for "worst possible pain." The patient was asked to put a mark on the line that best described the severity of his or her pain between zero and ten.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Joint position sense error
The sense of joint position error will be measured using the Cervical Range of Motion Device. The individual's head will be passively brought to 50% of the joint's range of motion, and the individual will be asked to wait for three seconds to feel the position. Then, the individual will be asked to bring their head to that position with their eyes closed. This process will be repeated three times for all directions.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Pressure pain threshold
A pressure algometer with a round tip measuring 1 cm² surface area will be used to assess pressure pain threshold. The sternum will be used as a reference point, and the trapezius and levator scapula muscles will be evaluated. The tip of the algometer probe will be applied to the skin perpendicular to it at a rate of 1 kg/cm² per second. The patient will be asked to indicate when the pressure sensation turns into pain. There will be a 30-second rest period between measurements, and bilateral evaluation will be performed, starting with the right side followed by the left side.
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Time frame: 8 weeks
joint range of motion
Neck flexion, extension, right and left rotation, and right and left lateral flexion will be measured using the Cervical Range of Motion Device.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Bournemouth Neck Questionnaire
The Bournemouth Neck Questionnaire, individuals rank the following 7 dimensions of pain and function on a scale of 0 to 10: pain severity, physical disability, social disability, anxiety, depression, employment, and ability to control their pain.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia
The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia was used to measure the kinesiophobia related to the pain. It is a scale with 17 items, and the scores range from 17 to 68. The higher the score is, the greater the kinesiophobia.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index is a self-report assessment tool that evaluates sleep quality over a one-month period. A global score and seven component scores can be derived from the scale. The component scores are the following: Subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medications and daytime dysfunction. Each component is scored on a scale from 0-3, with the total score ranging from 0-21; where a higher score describes poorer sleep quality.
Time frame: 8 weeks