Effect of sensorimotor training on proprioception and pain and posture in subjects with chronic non specific neck pain

Neck pain is one of the main musculoskeletal disorders in adults and is the fourth leading cause of disability in the world. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of sensorimotor training on proprioception, posture and pain in female patients with chronic non-specific neck pain.

This is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest and a control group. Thirty women with chronic nonspecific neck pain were selected by purposive sampling method and randomly divided into ی experimental and control groups of 15 patients. The subjects in the experimental group participated in a sensorimotor training program (three days a week for 8 weeks), while the subjects in the control group did not participate in any exercise program. Pain, proprioception and forward head posture angle with Visual Analogue Scale (validity 0.94 and reliability 0.97), craniocervical joint position error test (validity and reliability; 0.85%), Craniovertebral Angle (Validity and reliability; 0.88%) were measured before and after 8 weeks of sensorimotor training.

The groups in the pre-test phase were match in terms of pain, proprioception and forward head angle (P<0.05); but in the post-test phase, significant differences was recorded (P<0.001). After 8 weeks of sensorimotor training, the experimental group showed a significant improvement in pain, proprioception and forward head angle compared to the control group.

The findings showed the effectiveness of sensorimotor training program on pain, proprioception and forward head angle. Sensorimotor exercises significantly reduced pain, proprioception and forward head angle improvement in patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain. As a result, it seems that these exercises can be used as a comprehensive treatment protocol to improve various disorders in these patients.