NCT05527366

Effect of Auricular Vagus Stimulating in Non Specific Chronic Neck Pain

The Effect of Auricular Vagus Stimulating on Pain, Disability and Sleep in Non Specific Chronic Neck Pain

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 36 (actual)
• Sponsor: Okan University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The aim of our study is to compare the efects of conventional treatment and vagus nerve stimulation on pain, normal joint movement, disability and sleep in non-specific chronic neck pain. 36 patients aged between 18 and 65 years with non-specific neck pain participated in our randomly planned study. All these patients were divided into 2 groups. Demographic and physical characteristics of the patients were recorded. The first group was treated with auricular vagus nerve stimulation. Conservatire treatment that consists of hotpack, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and therapeutic ultrasound was applied to the second group. In addition to their treatment, some home exercises were given and tought. Pain was assessed with a visual analog scale (VAS). Muscle strength was evalvated with a digital hand dynamometer. Neck normal joınt motion was evaluated with goniometer clinometer which is a mobile phone application. While disability was mensured with the neck disability index, sleep quality was evalvated with the Pittsburg sleep questionnaire. All the measurements were recorded before the trearment and after the 15 session treatment.

Conditions

• Neck Pain
• Vagus
• Autonomic Nervous System

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Vagus stimulation	The Vagus Stimulation Group received auricular vagus stimulation for a total of 15 sessions of 25 minutes 5 days a week. The patients were applied with vagustim device consisting of TENS device with electrodes placed bilaterally in the outer ear with headphones that can be selected according to ear size. During the application, the gel was used to avoid causing any damage and to ensure conductivity. It is placed so that tragus and konkaya are facing. The pulse duration of the TENS device is less than 500 microseconds, the frequency is 10 Herzt, the module was applied in TENS mode and in the form of a biphasic asymmetric wave.
OTHER	Consevative treatment	A total of 15 sessions 5 days a week, 20 minutes of hotpack, 20 minutes of TENS, 5 minutes of 1,3 watt/cm2 ultrasound consisting of a total of 25 minutes of treatment was applied to the neck area.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-10-03
• Primary completion: 2022-12-27
• Completion: 2023-01-27
• First posted: 2022-09-02
• Last updated: 2024-07-31

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)