NCT07102199

Effect of Attentional Focus Order in Home Exercise for Neck Pain

Effectiveness of Differently Sequenced Attentional Focus Instructions in a Home Exercise Program for Non-Specific Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Single-Blind Trial

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 39 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Büşra Tamgüç · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

According to the International Association for the Study of Pain's 2017 terminology, neck pain is described as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience originating in the cervical region and potentially radiating toward the scapular area, typically linked to actual or potential tissue injury. Although research on how attentional focus instructions influence postural control remains limited, existing findings suggest that the sequence in which these instructions are delivered can impact sensory processing during postural control assessments. These observations raise compelling questions about the potential benefits of using attentional focus strategies in a structured, sequential manner during neck pain treatment. To date, however, no study has investigated how varying the order of attentional focus cues within a home exercise program affects individuals with non-specific neck pain. This study aimed to fill that gap by evaluating the clinical effectiveness of a home-based exercise protocol utilizing attentional focus instructions in different sequences. The primary outcome was disability level, measured by the Neck Disability Index (NDI). Secondary outcomes included pain intensity assessed via the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), craniovertebral angle (CVA) via photogrammetry, pressure pain threshold (PPT), cervical joint range of motion, dizziness-related disability (Dizziness Handicap Inventory), and the endurance of neck flexor and extensor muscles.

Conditions

• Neck Pain
• Motor Learning
• Home Exercise Program

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Internal focus of attention instructions- First	Participants first received internal focus instructions, directing their attention to their own body, followed by external focus instructions.
OTHER	External focus of attention instructions- First	Participants first received internal focus instructions, directing their attention to their own body, followed by external focus instructions.
OTHER	Home exercises	Participants' home exercise program includes cervical and scapulothoracic stabilization exercises and self-mobilization exercises with the self-sustained natural apophyseal glide (SNAG) method.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-05-01
• Primary completion: 2025-11-30
• Completion: 2025-12-31
• First posted: 2025-08-03
• Last updated: 2025-08-03

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)