Efficacy of neck stabilization and Pilates exercises on pain, sleep disturbance and kinesiophobia in patients with non-specific chronic neck pain: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Introduction: Neck pain poses a huge medical challenge in terms of pain and disability on patient. Therapeutic exercise has been reported to be an effective intervention for the treatment of patients with chronic neck pain.

Objectives: This study therefore determined the effects of neck stabilization and Pilates exercises on pain, sleep disturbance, neck disability and kinesiophobia in patients with non-specific chronic neck pain.

Methods: Forty five patients with non-specific chronic neck pain (NSCNP) participated in this study. They were randomly assigned into 3 different groups; Neck stabilization exercise, Pilates exercise and Neck dynamic isometric exercise using computer generated number. Pain intensity, sleep disturbance, neck disability, kinesiophobia were assessed using numerical pain rating scale, insomnia severity index, neck disability index, tampas scale of kinesiophobia respectively at baseline, 4th week (mid-intervention) and 8th week (post intervention). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics at alpha level of less than or equal to 0.05.

Results: Findings from this study revealed an improvement in all outcome parameters (pain intensity, quality of sleep, neck disability and kinesiophobia) in the three groups post-intervention (p < 0.05). However, there was statistically significant difference between neck stabilization and Pilates exercises on pain intensity (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The two groups (neck stabilization and Pilates) showed similar effect in the entire clinical outcomes aside pain intensity therefore both exercises are efficacious in the treatment of patients with NSCNP. However, neck stabilization exercises demonstrated a more superior effect than Pilates exercises in reducing pain intensity in patients with NSCNP.

Keywords: Kinesiophobia; Neck stabilization; Non-specific neck pain; Pilates; Sleep disturbance.