Strength training in treatment of chronic neck pain

Abstract

Background: Chronic non-specific neck pain is common in modern industrialized countries causing suffering, disability and considerable economical losses for individuals and society. Treatment is commonly advice for stretching and strength exercises in primary health care. However, if improvements are not satisfactory, patients may seek specialist care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of multimodal rehabilitation in treatment of chronic neck pain. Methods: The study group comprised of 56 patients with chronic neck pain, who participated rehabilitation for three weeks and one-week follow-up period after eight months at an inpatient rehabilitation facility. The aim was that patients continued exercising at home up to the follow-up. Neck pain, disability indices and neck muscle strength were evaluated at the baseline, after three weeks and at the 8-month follow-up. Results: Decrease in neck pain and disability amounting 50 % was achieved during three weeks rehabilitation. However, the improvements in these primary outcomes had declined at the follow-up so that the changes were no more clinically significant. Also the results in neck strength tests diminished. Conclusions: Rehabilitation was clinically effective only in the short-term, although some outcome changes were still significant at the long-term follow-up. It was compared to the best evidence practise, which revealed several common shortcomings in the rehabilitation process.