Stabilization Exercises With and Without Connective Tissue Massage for Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain

The aim of this study was to investigate and compared the effects of cervical and scapulothoracic stabilization exercises with and without connective tissue massage (CTM) for patients with chronic mechanical neck pain.

Sixty patients with chronic mechanical neck pain were recruited and randomly allocated into stabilization exercise with and without the connective tissue massage program. The study's inclusion criteria were as follows: 18 to 65 years of age, having neck pain for more than 3 months, and being volunteer. The exclusion criteria were as follows: stenosis, traumatic injury history, previous surgery related to cervical spine, hypermobility, cancer, having inflammatory rheumatologic, severe psychological disorders, being pregnant, and intervention including exercise or physical therapy in the last 3 months.The program was carried out for 12 sessions, 3 days/week in 4 weeks. Pain intensity with Visual Analog Scale, pressure pain threshold with digital algometer, the level of anxiety with the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory, and life quality with Short Form-36 were evaluated before and after treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 to 65 years of age,
• having neck pain for more than 3 months, and
• being volunteer

Exclusion Criteria:

• Stenosis,
• traumatic injury history,
• previous surgery related to cervical spine,
• hypermobility,
• cancer,
• having inflammatory rheumatologic,
• severe psychological disorders,
• being pregnant, and
• intervention including exercise or physical therapy in the last 3 months