The Effects of Deep Neck Muscle Exercises on Chronic Non-Specific Neck Pain

The study aimed to investigate the effects of deep neck flexor (DNF) and deep neck extensor (DNE) muscle exercises on pain, passive range of motion (PROM), craniovertebral angle (CVA), neck flexor endurance (NFE), neck extensor endurance (NEE), and the number of weekly painkiller usage (NWPKU) in chronic non-specific neck pain (CNNP) patients.

A total of 27 CNNP patients, incuding intervention group (n=15) and control group (n=12), were recruited for this study. Patients in the intervention group participated in 6 weeks of DNF and DNE exercises plus traditional physiotherapy. After 10 sessions (3 weeks), the exercise protocol was followed for 3 weeks of the home-based exercise form. Control group patients received traditional physiotherapy alone. The numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), PROM, CVA, NFE, NEE, and NWPKU were examined and compared between groups, at the baseline and after six weeks.

Numeric pain rating scale, PROM, CVA, NFE, NEE, and NWPKU improved significantly in both groups after treatment (P<0.001). The NPRS, passive flexion, passive extension, passive right-side bending, passive left rotation, CVA, NFE, NEE, and NWPKU differences were significant (P<0.05).

The study supports the positive effects of combination therapy (DNF and DNE exercises plus traditional physiotherapy) on pain, passive neck range of motion, neck lordosis posture, and neck muscle endurance in CNNP patients.