Overview
The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate whether electroencephalographic features are associated with the multidimensional clinical characteristics of adults with chronic non-specific neck pain and whether clinical and brain function measures change following physiotherapy. Participants with chronic non-specific neck pain will receive six weekly treatment sessions consisting of a manual physiotherapy and neck-specific exercise programme, including a home exercise programme. Clinical, psychophysical, and 64-channel electroencephalographic assessments will be performed at baseline and approximately one week after completion of the intervention. Clinical outcomes will also be reassessed 12 weeks after the last treatment session. Electroencephalographic recordings will be obtained while participants are seated comfortably and instructed to remain relaxed. EEG-derived measures will be examined in relation to pain intensity, neck-related disability, psychological and cognitive-affective factors, sleep quality, and psychophysical pain responses. Healthy participants without chronic neck pain will undergo a comparable baseline assessment to provide reference data for the interpretation of brain function in the clinical group.
Description
This non-randomized interventional study aims to investigate clinical and electroencephalographic characteristics in individuals with chronic non-specific neck pain and to examine changes following a physiotherapy intervention. A healthy control group will also be assessed to provide reference data for comparison with participants with chronic non-specific neck pain.
Participants with chronic non-specific neck pain will undergo a baseline assessment including clinical questionnaires, pain mapping, quantitative sensory testing, and 64-channel electroencephalographic recordings.
Following the baseline assessment, participants with chronic non-specific neck pain will receive six weekly physiotherapy sessions. The intervention will include passive mobilizations of the cervical and thoracic spine, soft tissue mobilizations, and a neck-specific home exercise programme involving neck flexor and extensor training.
The clinical, psychophysical, and electroencephalographic assessments will be repeated approximately one week after completion of the intervention. Perceived recovery, pain intensity, and neck-related disability will also be evaluated approximately 12 weeks after the final treatment session.
The study will examine baseline differences between participants with chronic non-specific neck pain and healthy controls and changes in clinical and electroencephalographic outcomes following physiotherapy.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Chronic non-specific neck pain (\>3 months duration)
- Willing and able to sign informed consent for study participation
Exclusion Criteria:
- Concomitant neurological or psychiatric disease apart from depression (especially severe mental disorder or psychopathology)
- Regular (daily) intake of benzodiazepines
- Signs of severe disease, cervical myelopathy, tumour, rheumatic diseases or a neurological pathology of central origin
- Neck pain of traumatic origin or as a result of whiplash
- Previous surgical intervention of the cervical spine
