Comparison of immediate effects between RT and shoulder shrug exercises in chronic mechanical neck pain

Abstract

Chronic mechanical neck pain is one of common musculoskeletal problems that find in developed countries and developing countries, especially work-people who affect daily life and bring the cost of treatment. This study was to compare the immediate effect of Rungthip exercise (RT exercise) which is bring strengthening exercises for chronic mechanical neck pain together strengthening exercise and shoulder shrug strengthening exercise on patient with chronic mechanical neck pain to reduce neck pain and change in the range of neck movement. Forty-four participants who had experienced neck pain and aged between 20 and 39 for 44 people participated in the study. All participants were randomly allocated into 2 groups consist of 22 participants each group. Outcome measures included neck pain which assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Cervical Range of Motion (CROM) by Cervical Range of Motion device before and after exercises. Results revealed that the patients in the both groups had no different in neck pain and cervical range of motion (p-value>0.05) except rotation to left (p-value=0.021).  Therefore, this study concluded that both RT and shoulder shrug exercises can reduce pain and increase range of neck movement of the neck in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain but no different results between the groups.