Effectiveness of Specific Exercise for Deep Cervical Muscles in Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Acute effects of an isometric neck warm-up programme on neck performance characteristics and ultrasound-based morphology

OBJECTIVE

Athletic performance can be enhanced immediately after an isometric warm-up, a phenomenon termed post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE). While isometric warm-ups can improve lower extremity sprint and jump performance, neck-specific isometric warm-ups need development and validation for mild traumatic brain disorders and neck pain. This study examined acute effects of isometric warm-ups on neck performance and morphology.

METHODS

Arm 1: Twenty-six adults (13 M:13F) completed neck performance testing before and after a 10-minute neck isometric warm-up or stationary bike (sham) between two visits. Testing included visual-motor reaction time, peak force, rate of force development, force steadiness, and force replication/proprioception measured by a 6-axis load cell. An inclinometer assessed range-of-motion. Paired t-tests and two-way ANOVA examined effects of neck/bike warm-up and interaction effects, respectively. Arm 2: 24 adults (11 M:13F) completed ultrasound scans of cervical muscles: before 20-minute rest (sham), and before/after a 5-min neck isometric warm-up. Longus colli cross-sectional area and sternocleidomastoid/upper trapezius thickness and stiffness, and cervical extensors thickness was assessed. One-way ANOVA compared morphological values at sham, before, and after warm-up. Significance was set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

Isometric neck warm-up increased rate of force development in flexion (p = 0.022), extension (p = 0.001-0.003), right lateral flexion (p = 0.004-0.032), left lateral flexion (p = 0.005-0.014), while peak force improved only in left lateral flexion (p = 0.032). Lateral flexion range-of-motion increased after neck warm-up (p = 0.003-0.026). Similarly, longus colli cross-sectional area (p = 0.016) and sternocleidomastoid thickness (p = 0.004) increased.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased neck performance characteristics and morphology are likely due to PAPE effects of isometric neck warm-up. For coaches and athletes, simple isometric contractions could be added to existing warm-ups to reduce prevalence, incidence, and severity of mild traumatic brain injuries and neck pain.

Exercise therapy including the cervical extensor muscles in individuals with neck pain: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To review the use (dosage parameters and combination with other therapeutic interventions) of cervical extensor muscle exercises and their effect on pain, disability (primary outcomes), range of motion, endurance and strength (secondary outcomes) in people with neck pain.

DATA SOURCES

An extensive literature search was conducted through MEDLINE (Ovid), Scopus (Elsevier) and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) up to May 2023. The reference lists of all included studies and relevant reviews were screened for additional studies.

REVIEW METHODS

Randomised controlled trials reporting the use of cervical extensor muscle exercises (alone or combined) applied to adults with idiopathic or traumatic neck pain were included. Study selection, data extraction and critical appraisal (PEDro assessment scale) were performed by two blinded reviewers. Data extraction included dosage parameters, other modalities combined with these exercises and outcomes.

RESULTS

Thirty-five randomised controlled trails (eight of which were complementary analyses) with 2409 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Twenty-six were of moderate to high quality. In most studies, cervical extensor muscle exercises were combined with various other therapeutic modalities and applied at different dosages. Only two studies (one high and one low quality) specifically assessed their effectiveness. The high-quality study showed significant improvements in neck pain and disability, pressure point threshold and neck mobility after both low load and high load training for 6 weeks.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest cervical extensor muscle exercises may reduce neck pain and disability; however firm conclusions cannot be drawn because of the few studies that addressed this question and the heterogeneity of the dosage parameters.

Summarizing the effects of different exercise types in chronic neck pain - a systematic review and meta-analysis of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND

To date, no consensus exists as to whether one exercise type is more effective than another in chronic neck pain. This systematic review and meta-analysis of systematic reviews aimed to summarize the literature on the effect of various exercise types used in chronic neck pain and to assess the certainty of the evidence.

METHODS

We searched the databases Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, SportDiscus, and Web of Science (Core Collection) for systematic reviews and meta-analyses on adults between 18 and 70 years with chronic neck pain lasting ≥ 12 weeks which investigated the effects of exercises on pain and disability. The included reviews were grouped into motor control exercise (MCE), Pilates exercises, resistance training, traditional Chinese exercise (TCE), and yoga. Study quality was assessed with AMSTAR-2 and the level of certainty for the effects of the exercise through GRADE. A narrative analysis of the results was performed and in addition, meta-analyses when feasible.

RESULTS

Our database search resulted in 1,794 systematic reviews. We included 25 systematic reviews and meta-analyses including 17,321 participants (overlap not accounted for). The quality of the included reviews ranged from critically low to low (n = 13) to moderate to high (n = 12). We found low to high certainty of evidence that MCE, Pilates exercises, resistance training, TCE, and yoga have short-term positive effects on pain and that all exercise types except resistance training, show positive effects on disability compared to non-exercise controls. We found low to moderate certainty of evidence for conflicting results on pain and disability when the exercise types were compared to other exercise interventions in the short-term as well as in intermediate/long-term apart for yoga, as no long-term results were available.

CONCLUSION

Overall, our findings show low to high certainty of evidence for positive effects on pain and disability of the various exercise types used in chronic neck pain compared to non-exercise interventions, at least in the short-term. Based on our results, no optimal exercise intervention for patients with chronic neck pain can be recommended, since no large differences between the exercise types were shown here. Because the quality of the included systematic reviews varied greatly, future systematic reviews need to increase their methodological quality.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Prospero CRD42022336014.

Patient-reported outcome measures in physical therapy practice for neck pain: an overview of reviews

BACKGROUND

Understanding which patient-reported outcome measures are being collected and utilized in clinical practice and research for patients with neck pain will help to inform recommendations for a core set of measures that provide value to patients and clinicians during diagnosis, clinical decision-making, goal setting and evaluation of responsiveness to treatment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct a review of systematic reviews using a qualitative synthesis on the use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for patients presenting with neck pain to physical therapy.

METHODS

An electronic search of systematic reviews and guideline publications was performed using MEDLINE (OVID), Embase (Elsevier), CINAHL Complete (EBSCOhost), and Web of Science (Clarivate) databases to identify reviews that evaluated physical therapy interventions or interventions commonly performed by a physical therapist for individuals with neck pain and included at least one patient-reported outcome measure. The frequency and variability in which the outcome measures were reported among the studies in the review and the constructs for which they measured were evaluated. The evaluation of a core set of outcome measures was assessed. Risk of bias and quality assessment was performed using A Measurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews 2.

RESULTS

Of the initial 7,003 articles, a total of 37 studies were included in the final review. Thirty-one PROMs were represented within the 37 reviews with eleven patient-reported outcome measures in three or more reviews. The eleven PROMs assessed the constructs of disability, pain intensity, psychosocial factors and quality of life. The greatest variability was found amongst individual measures assessing psychosocial factors. Assessment of psychosocial factors was the least represented construct in the included studies. Overall, the most frequently utilized patient reported outcome measures were the Neck Disability Index, Visual Analog Scale, and Numeric Pain Rating Scale. The most frequently used measures evaluating the constructs of disability, pain intensity, quality of life and psychosocial functioning included the Neck Disability Index, Visual Analog Scale, Short-Form-36 health survey and Fear Avoidance Belief Questionnaire respectively. Overall risk of bias and quality assessment confidence levels ranged from critically low (2 studies), low (12 studies), moderate (8 studies), and high (15 studies).

CONCLUSION

This study identified a core set of patient-reported outcome measures that represented the constructs of disability, pain intensity and quality of life. This review recommends the collection and use of the Neck Disability Index and the Numeric Pain Rating Scale or Visual Analog Scale. Recommendation for a QoL measure needs to be considered in the context of available resources and administrative burden. Further research is needed to confidently recommend a QoL and psychosocial measure for patients presenting with neck pain. Other measures that were not included in this review but should be further evaluated for patients with neck pain are the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical function, PROMIS Pain Interference and the Optimal Screening for Prediction of Referral and Outcome Yellow Flag (OSPRO-YF) tool.

Immediate neck hypoalgesic effects of craniocervical flexion exercises and cervical retraction exercises among individuals with non-acute neck pain and a directional preference for retraction or extension: preliminary pretest-posttest randomized experimental design

BACKGROUND

Selective deep neck flexor muscle activation through craniocervical flexion exercises has been considered to be different from cervical retraction exercises.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the immediate analgesic effect of craniocervical flexion versus cervical retraction exercises in individuals with nonacute, directional preference (DP) for cervical retraction or extension.

METHODS

A two-arm, assessor-blinded, pretest-posttest randomized experiment was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned to either craniocervical flexion or cervical retraction exercises and those who were confirmed at the post-intervention examination to have a DP for cervical retraction or extension were analyzed. The primary outcome measure was pressure pain thresholds at the C2 and C5-C6 levels.

RESULTS

A total of 10 (mean age = 20.6 years) and nine participants (mean age = 19.4 years) undertook craniocervical flexion and retraction exercises, respectively. One-way analysis of variance demonstrated no statistically significant (p > 0.05) interaction effect regardless of the neck level. In the pre-post change percentages, retraction exercises provided greater analgesic effects compared to craniocervical flexion exercises at the C2 (Hedges' g = 0.679) and C5-C6 levels (g = 0.637).

CONCLUSION

This study showed a comparable or greater immediate neck analgesic effect from cervical retraction exercises compared to craniocervical flexion exercises in individuals with a DP for cervical retraction or extension.

Stretching and muscle-performance exercises for chronic nonspecific neck pain: who may benefit most?

BACKGROUND

Although exercise is the mainstay of treatment for neck pain (NP), uncertainty remains over optimal decision-making concerning who may benefit most from such, particularly in the long term.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the subgroup of patients with nonspecific NP most likely to benefit from stretching and muscle-performance exercises.

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of treatment outcomes of 70 patients (10 of whom dropped out) with a primary complaint of nonspecific NP in one treatment arm of a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. All patients performed the exercises, twice weekly for 6 weeks, and a home exercise program. Blinded outcome measurements were collected at baseline, after the 6-week program, and at a 6-month follow-up. Patients rated their perceived recovery on a 15-point global rating of change scale; a rating of "quite a bit better" (+5) or higher was defined as a successful outcome. Clinical predictor variables were developed via logistic regression analysis to classify patients with NP that may benefit from exercise-based treatment.

RESULTS

NP duration since onset≤6 months, no cervicogenic headache, and shoulder protraction were independent predictor variables. The pretest probability of success was 47% after the 6-week intervention and 40% at the 6-month follow-up. The corresponding posttest probabilities of success for participants with all three variables were 86% and 71%, respectively; such participants were likely to recover.

CONCLUSION

The clinical predictor variables developed in this study may identify patients with nonspecific NP likely to benefit most from stretching and muscle-performance exercises in the short and long terms.