Effect of 6-week shoulder and neck exercises on improving neck disability of middle-aged and older adults with chronic neck pain

Abstract

This study explored the effectiveness of 6-week programme involving shoulder and neck exercises on improving the neck disability of middle-aged and older adults with chronic neck pain. Participants in the Intervention Group (IG) were asked to participate in a 6-week training programme of shoulder and neck exercises, thrice a week, in addition to receiving passive modalities. The Control Group (CG) received passive modalities only. A primary outcome measure was change in Neck Disability Index (NDI) and secondary outcome measures involved changes in pain scores on a visual analogue scale and Cervical Range of Motion (CROM). Assessments were conducted at baseline and after 6-week intervention. In total, 72 participants were recruited for randomised controlled study. After the intervention, the pain scores, NDI and CROM of the IG displayed more significant improvement in the post-test than did the CG. The IG achieved significant improvement in NDI (-7.15 scores; p<0.001), pain scores (-27.97mm; p<0.001) and CROM (p<0.001) after the intervention. The intervention can reduce NDI scores, reduce the self-reported perception of pain scores, and improve CROM of middle-aged and older adults with chronic neck pain.