Clinical Outcomes, Viscoelastic Properties and Central Pain Mechanisms After Eccentric Training in Neck/Shoulder Pain

NCT ID: NCT03474705

Last Updated: 2018-12-27

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 20 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2018-05-02
• Study Completion Date: 2018-09-30

Brief Summary

Objectives: The aims are to 1) evaluate the clinical impact of eccentric training in female computer users with chronic NSP, 2) compare pressure hyperalgesia, temporal summation of pain (TSP), and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) in female office workers with and without NSP, and 3) assess changes in central pain responses after training.

Methods: In part A, twenty office workers with NSP will be compared with 20 healthy controls. In part B, the NSP group will undergo a 5-week eccentric training program. Participants will report their pain intensity, and complete the Neck Disability Index, and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire. Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) will be assessed over the neck and forearm. Cuff algometry will identify pain detection (PDT) and tolerance thresholds (PTT). TSP will be evaluated by visual analogue scale pain scores during 10 repetitive cuff stimulations. CPM will be calculated as the difference in PDT with and without a conditioning painful stimulus. Outcomes will be measured at baseline and post-intervention.

Conditions

Neck Pain; Work-related Injury; Shoulder Pain

Keywords

Clinical Pain; Hyperalgesia; Intervention; Musculoskeletal disorders; Computer Work; Strength Training

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Eccentric Training Group

Eccentric training of the upper trapezius muscles. The intervention will consist of ten sessions of 25-30 minutes (twice a week over 5 consecutive weeks) of eccentric exercises of the shoulder muscles, as neural activation increases after 4 weeks of eccentric training. The total duration of the intervention will be 2 hours and a half.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Eccentric Training Protocol

Intervention Type: DEVICE

A custom-built dynamic shoulder dynamometer (Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark) will be used. Participants will be seated with back support and no feet support. The maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the painful side will be assessed. Sessions will start with a 5-min warm-up. After that, participants will sit in the dynamometer, and the range of shoulder elevation (highest and lowest vertical position) will be measured for the affected side. During training, subjects will have to counteract a dynamometer vertical force from the highest to the lowest shoulder position at a force equal to 60% (training sessions 1-3), 70% (training sessions 4-6), and 80% (training sessions 7-10) of the MVC recorded during baseline. Three bouts of 10 repetitions (sessions 1-3), 8 repetitions (sessions 4-6) and 6 repetitions (sessions 7-10) will be performed, with a 3-second rest between contractions and a 2-minute break between bouts.

Interventions

Eccentric Training Protocol

A custom-built dynamic shoulder dynamometer (Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark) will be used. Participants will be seated with back support and no feet support. The maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the painful side will be assessed. Sessions will start with a 5-min warm-up. After that, participants will sit in the dynamometer, and the range of shoulder elevation (highest and lowest vertical position) will be measured for the affected side. During training, subjects will have to counteract a dynamometer vertical force from the highest to the lowest shoulder position at a force equal to 60% (training sessions 1-3), 70% (training sessions 4-6), and 80% (training sessions 7-10) of the MVC recorded during baseline. Three bouts of 10 repetitions (sessions 1-3), 8 repetitions (sessions 4-6) and 6 repetitions (sessions 7-10) will be performed, with a 3-second rest between contractions and a 2-minute break between bouts.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Neck / shoulder pain has to last more than 12 weeks', with an average score higher than 2 on a 11-point Numeric Pain Rating Scale within the last 24 hours and during the week before data collection.
• All subjects will have to work for a minimum of four hours per day using a computer, should speak and understand English, and could not be involved in regular strength training of the neck/upper extremities

Exclusion Criteria

• previous whiplash; a history of neurological or mental illnesses; consumption of pain killers within the last 24 hours; drug addiction, defined as the use of cannabis, opioids or other drugs; fibromyalgia; previous cervical spine or upper limb surgery; carpal tunnel syndrome; concomitant injury or pain from the lumbar spine; and heart diseases or hypertension.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Aalborg University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Seville

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Alberto Marcos Heredia-Rizo

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Lars Arendt-Nielsen, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Aalborg University

Locations

University of Sevilla

Seville, , Spain

Countries

Spain

Other Identifiers

AMHRizo

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id