NCT01304368

Effects of Thermotherapy on Chronic Neck Pain

Randomized Controlled Pilot Study: Effects of a Heat Pad Application in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (actual)
• Sponsor: Universität Duisburg-Essen · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Chronic neck pain is a common worldwide problem. In the majority of cases, patients are treated by medication, referral to a physiotherapist or thermotherapy. Thermotherapy - the therapeutic application of topical heat - provides an easy to apply self-help strategy in patients with chronic neck pain. However, despite the frequent use in clinical practice, there is no research regarding this topic yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether thermotherapy self-treatment for chronic neck pain induces changes in perceived pain intensity and in sensory processing.

Conditions

• Neck Pain

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Thermotherapy	Patients are instructed to heat a moor mud filled heat pad (beinio®therm, bb med. product GmbH, Kalkar (Kehrum), Germany) to a hot, but tolerable temperature and to apply it over the painful area once a day for 20 minutes during a period of 14 days. Patients are instructed to continue their usual medication - including analgesic drugs - and physiotherapy (massages and exercise) during the study period.

Timeline

• Start date: 2009-08-01
• Primary completion: 2010-08-01
• Completion: 2010-08-01
• First posted: 2011-02-25
• Last updated: 2011-02-25

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany