Effects of Hatha Yoga on Chronic Neck Pain

NCT ID: NCT01171274

Last Updated: 2011-02-21

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 58 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2010-08-31
• Study Completion Date: 2010-12-31

Brief Summary

Hatha Yoga is a traditional system of exercises, used in India for the relief of painful condition since centuries and gaining more and more interest in Europe and the US. While studies have demonstrated benefits of Hatha Yoga for patients with chronic low back pain, no studies regarding chronic neck pain are available until now. The purpose of this study is to determine if Hatha Yoga can ameliorate chronic neck pain and related restrictions.

Detailed Description

Hatha Yoga is a traditional system of exercises, used in India for the relief of painful condition since centuries and gaining more and more interest in Europe and the US. The efficacy of Hatha Yoga for relieving chronic low back pain has been repeatedly demonstrated in clinical trials, while there are no studies in the literature regarding chronic neck pain. The aim of this study is to investigate, whether a 9 weeks-course of Hatha Yoga reduces subjective pain ratings and disability in patients suffering from chronic neck pain. Furthermore, as neck pain patients have been shown to suffer from impaired sensory processing and proprioception, along with restricted range of motion, the study aims to test if Hatha Yoga can improve these variables. Therefore, tests regarding cervicocephalic proprioception, active range of motion and the processing of mechanical, vibration and pain stimuli will be included.

58 patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain will be randomized to either Hatha Yoga group or control group, receiving information regarding exercises for chronic neck pain. The control group will be offered to take part in a Yoga class after the end of the study.

Conditions

Neck Pain

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Hatha Yoga

• 9 weeks of Hatha Yoga, designed for treating chronic neck pain, as a group intervention.
• One class of 90 minutes per week, 10 minutes training at home each day.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Hatha Yoga

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

• 9 weeks of Hatha Yoga, designed for treating chronic neck pain, as a group intervention.
• One class of 90 minutes per week, 10 minutes training at home each day.

Exercise information

• 9 weeks of exercises practiced at home.
• Patients receive detailed information regarding appropriate exercises and behaviour for chronic neck pain patients.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Information regarding exercises and behaviour

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

• 9 weeks of exercises practiced at home.
• Patients receive detailed information regarding appropriate exercises and behaviour for chronic neck pain patients.

Interventions

Hatha Yoga

• 9 weeks of Hatha Yoga, designed for treating chronic neck pain, as a group intervention.
• One class of 90 minutes per week, 10 minutes training at home each day.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Information regarding exercises and behaviour

• 9 weeks of exercises practiced at home.
• Patients receive detailed information regarding appropriate exercises and behaviour for chronic neck pain patients.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Chronic mechanical neck pain, at least 40 mm on the 100mm visual analog scale.
• Pain for at least 3 months.

Exclusion Criteria

• radicular symptoms
• congenital spine deformity
• pregnancy
• rheumatic diseases
• oncologic diseases
• other severe psychiatric or somatic comorbidity
• recent invasive or surgical treatment of the spine
• regularly yoga practice participation in other studies

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Universität Duisburg-Essen

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Universität Duisburg Essen, Chair of Complementary and Integrative Medicine

Locations

Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Knappschafts-Krankenhaus, Department for Internal and Integrative Medicine

Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Countries

Germany

Other Identifiers

10-4358

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id