Neck-specific Exercise in Chronic Whiplash
CompletedNot applicableNCT03022812
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This study has no listed site in Canada in this snapshot. It is included as part of the worldwide chronic pain corpus.
Brief summary (from the registry)
Neck pain is fourth among the most common conditions worldwide associated with longer periods of living with disability. Annually, about 30 000 people in Sweden undergo a whiplash trauma (WAD), and half of those individuals will develop chronic problems with high costs for the individual and society. Evidence for chronic WAD treatment is scarce, although neck-specific training at a physiotherapy clinic (2 times a week for 3 months) has demonstrated good results. A more efficient, flexible rehabilitation with reduced waiting times and lower costs is needed, ideally replacing lengthy on-site treatment series by health care providers. Internet-based care has proven to be a viable alternative to personal care meetings for a variety of diseases and interventions, but studies are lacking on Internet-based interventions for individuals with chronic neck problems. The purpose of this study is to investigate if A) neck-specific training delivered through Internet-based care differs from B) a longer series of treatments at a physiotherapy clinic regarding, e.g., work ability, sick-leave and disability. This prospective, randomized study involves 140 participants. Measurement is done at baseline, 3 months (end of treatment), and 15 months (12 months after end of treatment in the study) and will include ratings of work ability, sick-leave, work presenteeism, disability, pain, health, satisfaction with care, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness. The study results may contribute to the development of a more effective rehabilitation, flexible and equal care, shorter waiting times, increased availability and lower costs for health care and society. The program can be implemented on a broader scale in neck pain patients.
Study details
- Official title
- Is E-health a Way to Increase Ability and Health and Make Health Care More Effective in Chronic Whiplash? A Prospective Randomized Controlled Multicenter Trial
- Conditions
- Whiplash Associated Disorders
- Interventions
- Other: Neck-specific exercise
- Sponsor
- Linkoeping University
- Start date
- 2017-04-06
- Primary completion
- 2020-09-15
- Sex
- All
- Age range
- from 18 Years to 63 Years
- Results posted
- No results posted in this snapshot
- Countries
- Sweden
- Total sites listed
- 1
Eligibility criteria
Show eligibility criteria (verbatim from the registry)
Inclusion Criteria: * Individuals with a whiplash injury in a traffic accident with a four-wheeled motor vehicle at least 6 months ago but less than 5 years ago, with chronic neck problems corresponding to Quebec Task Force (QTF) grades 2-3 verified in clinical examination * No participation in a neck-specific exercise program in a previous research study; * Average estimated pain in the preceding week more than 20 mm on the visual analogue scale (VAS) * Neck disability for more than 20% of the Neck Disability Index * Working age, between 18 and 63 years * Daily access to computer/tablet/smart phone and Internet * Time to follow the treatment program * Neck symptoms within the first week after the injury (neck pain, neck stiffness, or radiculopathy from the neck). Exclusion Criteria: * Any of the following signs of brain damage at the time of injury: loss of consciousness, amnesia before or after the injury, altered mental status (e.g., confusion, disorientation), focal neurological changes (changes in smell and taste) * Previous fractures or dislocation of the cervical column * Known or suspected serious physical pathology included myelopathy, spinal tumours, spinal infection, or ongoing malignancy * Previous severe neck problems that resulted in sick leave for more than a month in the year before the current whiplash injury * Surgery in the cervical column * Generalized or more dominant pain elsewhere in the body * Other illness/injury that may prevent full participation in the study and/or where neck exercises are contraindicated * Inability to understand and write in Swedish * Diagnosed severe mental illness, e.g., psychosis, schizophrenia, personality disorders * Current alcohol or drug abuse.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov (US National Library of Medicine), snapshot October 2026. Check the registry for current recruiting status. Record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03022812