Effect of Alexander Technique on Neck Pain and Quality of Life in Lactating Women

NCT ID: NCT06646367

Last Updated: 2024-10-17

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 72 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-10-20
• Study Completion Date: 2025-02-01

Brief Summary

This study will be conducted to investigate the effect of the Alexander technique on neck pain and quality of life in lactating women.

Detailed Description

During breastfeeding, incorrect positioning and placement of hands to support the baby's weight can irritate the musculature of the hands. Repeating the same position frequently can lead to radiating pain in the elbows and hands. Additionally, adopting different postures to compensate for the pain while sitting, standing, or lying down can cause mechanical changes in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, altering the body's correct posture.

The Alexander Technique is a non-exercise approach focused on improving the modulation of postural muscle activity. It offers an individualized approach to developing skills that help people recognize, understand, and avoid poor habits that affect postural tone and neuromuscular coordination. Its lessons are associated with clinically relevant long-term reductions in neck pain and disability.

Some previous studies examined effect of Alexander technique on neck pain and on quality of life in different population, but in our knowledge this is the first study will be conducted to investigate effect of Alexander technique on neck pain and quality of life in lactating women, so this study will be conducted to provide an insight about the beneficial effect of the Alexander Technique on neck pain and quality of life in lactating women which will be of valuable benefits in the women's health field.

Conditions

Neck Pain

Study Design

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

Study Groups

Conventional therapy

It will include 36 lactating females suffering from neck pain who will receive conventional therapy in the form of moist heat for 30 min, 5 times per week for 5 weeks and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) that will be applied for 25 min, 5 times per week for 5 weeks.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Conventional therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

All participants in the two groups will receive conventional therapy in the form of TENS and moist heat for 5 weeks.TENS will be applied 5 times a week for 5 weeks at a frequency of 80Hz with 10- to 30-mA intensity for 25 minutes. Four surface electrodes (5x5 cm each) were situated over the painful region in the neck (two electrodes will be placed in either side of the spine high on neck, just underneath the skull and the other two electrodes will be placed about 5cm underneath them) with intensity in the tactile sensation threshold. The hot packs will be applied for 30 minutes on the cervical area, 5 times per week for 5 weeks.

Conventional therapy + Alexander technique

It will include 36 lactating females suffering from neck pain who will receive the same conventional therapy in addition to the Alexander technique which will be applied for 60 min, 2 classes per week, for 5 weeks.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Conventional therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

All participants in the two groups will receive conventional therapy in the form of TENS and moist heat for 5 weeks.TENS will be applied 5 times a week for 5 weeks at a frequency of 80Hz with 10- to 30-mA intensity for 25 minutes. Four surface electrodes (5x5 cm each) were situated over the painful region in the neck (two electrodes will be placed in either side of the spine high on neck, just underneath the skull and the other two electrodes will be placed about 5cm underneath them) with intensity in the tactile sensation threshold. The hot packs will be applied for 30 minutes on the cervical area, 5 times per week for 5 weeks.

Alexander technique

Intervention Type: OTHER

Women in the experimental group will attend 10 Alexander Technique classes (60 minutes each, twice a week for 5 weeks). The Alexander Technique focuses on body awareness, reducing muscle tension, and improving coordination through three principles: enhanced awareness, purposeful inhibition, and mental imagery. Participants will learn to release habitual muscle tension and explore alternative movement patterns, covering biomechanics and ergonomics of the neck, spine, and limbs. The sessions involve hands-on guidance, verbal instruction, and group activities. Daily practice in a semi-supine position is encouraged to improve posture, coordination, and overall well-being.

Interventions

Conventional therapy

All participants in the two groups will receive conventional therapy in the form of TENS and moist heat for 5 weeks.TENS will be applied 5 times a week for 5 weeks at a frequency of 80Hz with 10- to 30-mA intensity for 25 minutes. Four surface electrodes (5x5 cm each) were situated over the painful region in the neck (two electrodes will be placed in either side of the spine high on neck, just underneath the skull and the other two electrodes will be placed about 5cm underneath them) with intensity in the tactile sensation threshold. The hot packs will be applied for 30 minutes on the cervical area, 5 times per week for 5 weeks.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Alexander technique

Women in the experimental group will attend 10 Alexander Technique classes (60 minutes each, twice a week for 5 weeks). The Alexander Technique focuses on body awareness, reducing muscle tension, and improving coordination through three principles: enhanced awareness, purposeful inhibition, and mental imagery. Participants will learn to release habitual muscle tension and explore alternative movement patterns, covering biomechanics and ergonomics of the neck, spine, and limbs. The sessions involve hands-on guidance, verbal instruction, and group activities. Daily practice in a semi-supine position is encouraged to improve posture, coordination, and overall well-being.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Lactating females experiencing neck pain (six weeks to 1year postpartum).
• Able to understand and follow the Alexander Technique instructions.
• Their age will be ranged from 20-35 years old.
• Their BMI will be less than 30 kg/m2 .
• Their pain level is ≥ 4 on numeric pain rating scale.
• They have mild disability on Neck Disability Index Questionnaire (NDI).
• They have limited cervical range of motion (the normal flexion range of motion is 80° to 90°, extension 70°, lateral flexion 20° to 45°, and rotation up to 90°).

Exclusion Criteria

• Neck pain as consequence of disc protrusion or prolapse, whiplash, congenital deformity of the spine, spinal stenosis, neoplasm, inflammatory rheumatic disease, neurological disorder, and psychosis.
• Women who had invasive treatment of the spine within the previous three weeks, or spinal surgery or presence of neck history of trauma.
• Presence of contraindications to spinal movement, such as fracture or dislocation.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 20 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 35 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Cairo University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Aml Elsaid Hamed

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Hala Mohamed Hanfy, PhD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Professor, Cairo university

Locations

Faculty of physical therapy, Cairo University

Giza, , Egypt

Countries

Egypt

Central Contacts

Aml Elsaid Hamed, B.Sc

Role: CONTACT

amlelsaidpt@gmail.com

01060098343

Manal Ahmed El-Shafei, PhD

Role: CONTACT

Facility Contacts

Aml Elsaid Hamed, B.Sc

Role: primary

amlelsaidpt@gmail.com

01060098343

Manal Ahmed El-Shafei, PhD

Role: backup

Other Identifiers

P.T.REC/012/005325

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id