Suchergebnisse

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the effect on self-rated pain, disability, and self-efficacy of 3 interventions for the management of chronic whiplash-associated disorders: physiotherapist-led neck-specific exercise (NSE), physiotherapist-led NSE with the addition of a behavioral approach, or Prescription of Physical Activity (PPA). Materials and Methods: A total of 216 volunteers with chronic whiplash-associated disorders participated in this randomized, assessor blinded, clinical trial of 3 exercise interventions. Self-rated pain/pain bothersomeness (Visual Analogue Scale), disability (Neck Disability Index), and self-efficacy (Self-Efficacy Scale) were evaluated at baseline and at 3 and 6 months. Results: The proportion of patients reaching substantial reduction in pain bothersomness (at least 50% reduction) was more evident (P less than 0.01) in the 2 NSE groups (29% to 48%) compared with the PPA group (5%) at 3 months. At 6 months 39% to 44% of the patients in the 2 neck-specific groups and 28% in the PPA group reported substantial pain reduction. Reduction of disability was also larger in the 2 neck-specific exercise groups at both 3 and 6 months (P less than 0.02). Self-efficacy was only improved in the NSE group without a behavioral approach (P = 0.02). However, there were no significant differences in any outcomes between the 2 physiotherapist-led NSE groups. Discussion: NSE resulted in superior outcomes compared with PPA in this study, but the observed benefits of adding a behavioral approach to the implementation of exercise in this study were inconclusive. ; Funding Agencies|Swedish government through the Swedish Research Council; Swedish Social Insurance Agency through the REHSAM foundation Stockholm, Sweden; Sormland, Sweden County Council; Uppsala, Sweden County Council; Swedish Research Council, Stockholm, Sweden; Health Practitioner Research Fellowship (Queensland Health); Health Practitioner Research Fellowship (University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia [NHMRC CCRE Spinal Pain, Injury and Health])

The development of methods of non-invasive measurement of neck muscle function remains a priority in the clinical sciences. In this study, dorsal neck muscle deformation vs time curves (deformation area) were evaluated against incremental force, recorded from non-invasive real-time ultrasound measurement. The results revealed subject-specific moderate to strong linear or non-linear relationships between deformation and force. Test-retest variability showed strong reliability for all five neck muscles summed together and fair to good reliability for the five muscles evaluated separately. Multivariate statistics were used to analyse the interactions between the dorsal neck muscles during different percentages of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Low force (10-20% MVC) was related to muscle shortening; higher force (40-80% MVC) showed combination of shortening and elongation deformation in the muscle interactions. The muscle interactions during isometric MVC test were subject-specific, with different combinations and deformations of the five neck muscles. Force amp;gt;= 40% MVC were associated with a forward movement of the cervical spine that affected the ultrasound measurement of the dorsal neck muscles. Ultrasound with speckle-tracking analyses may be best used to detect low levels (amp;lt;40% MVC) of neck muscle activity. ; Funding Agencies|Swedish government; Swedish Social Insurance Agency through the REHSAM foundation; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research Council; Centre for Clinical Research Sormland at Uppsala University Sweden; Swedish Society of Medicine

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 3 different exercise approaches on neck muscle endurance (NME), kinesiophobia, exercise compliance, and patient satisfaction in patients with chronic whiplash. Methods: This prospective randomized clinical trial included 216 individuals with chronic whiplash. Participants were randomized to 1 of 3 exercise interventions: neck-specific exercise (NSE), NSE combined with a behavioral approach (NSEB), or prescribed physical activity (PPA). Measures of ventral and dorsal NME (endurance time in seconds), perceived pain after NME testing, kinesiophobia, exercise compliance, and patient satisfaction were recorded at baseline and at the 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Results: Compared with individuals in the prescribed physical activity group, participants in the NSE and NSEB groups exhibited greater gains in dorsal NME (P = .003), greater reductions in pain after NME testing (P = .03), and more satisfaction with treatment (P less than .001). Kinesiophobia and exercise compliance did not significantly differ between groups (P greater than .07). Conclusion: Among patients with chronic whiplash, a neck-specific exercise intervention (with or without a behavioral approach) appears to improve NME. Participants were more satisfied with intervention including neck-specific exercises than with the prescription of general exercise. ; Funding Agencies|Swedish government; Swedish Social Insurance Agency through the REHSAM Foundation [RS2010/009]; Centre for Clinical Research Sormland at Uppsala University Sweden; Medical Research Council of Southeast Sweden; Center for Clinical Research of Ostergotland; Uppsala-Orebro Regional Research Council Sweden; Health Practitioner Research Fellowship from Queensland Health; University of Queensland (NHMRC CCRE Spinal Pain, Injury, and Health); Swedish Research Council; Wennergren Foundation