Background: Non-specific neck pain (NsNP) constitutes a great burden to individuals in the populace and major challenge to physiotherapists. This study aims at evaluating the effects of stabilization and dynamic exercises on pain intensity, disability and fear avoidance beliefs in patients with NsNP.
Material and Methods: Eighty eight patients with NsNP participated in this single-blind randomized controlled trial. The participants were assigned to one of three groups; the Stabilization Group, Stabilization plus Dynamic Exercise Group and Dynamic Exercise Group using fish bowl technique. Treatment was applied three times weekly for 8 weeks and outcomes were measured in terms of pain intensity, disability and fear avoidance beliefs at the end of 4th and 8th week of study. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, at p= 0.05.
Results: Seventy six participants with mean age 46.82 ± 12.43 years completed the study. The groups were comparable in baseline outcome measures (p>0.05). Within-group comparison across the three time-points of the study revealed that the different treatment regimens had significant effects on all the outcome measures (p<0.05). There were significant differences between the three groups at week 4 and 8 respectively. Post-hoc analysis showed that Stabilization had higher reductions in pain, disability and fear avoidance beliefs at week 4 and 8 of the study respectively. Conclusion: Stabilization exercises alone as well as stabilization plus dynamic or dynamic exercises are effective. However stabilization exercises resulted in better reduction in pain intensity, functional disability and fear avoidance beliefs in participants with non-specific neck pain.
Keywords: Neck pain, Stabilization exercises, Neck disability, Dynamic Exercises.
