A randomized controlled trial on the effects of "Global Postural Re-education" versus neck specific exercise on pain, disability, postural control, and neuromuscular features in women with chronic non-specific neck pain.
Tânia Mendes Fernandes, Roberto Méndez-Sánchez, Ana S Puente-González and 3 others
PMID 36598342WHAT IT FOUND
Global postural re-education and neck-specific exercises reduced pain and disability equally well in women with chronic neck pain.
Neither approach improved postural sway. Clinicians can choose based on patient preference or availability, as one is not superior to the other.
Key findings
01Both interventions significantly reduced neck pain intensity and disability, with no difference in effectiveness between the groups.
02Neither intervention improved postural sway measures.
03Both groups showed improved neck range of motion and reduced superficial neck flexor muscle activity, with no significant difference between treatments.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study only included women with mild-to-moderate pain, so results may not apply to men or those with severe pain. There was no healthy control group, so it is unclear if the participants had impaired balance to begin with. Follow-up was immediate, so long-term effects are unknown. Two patients dropped out due to scheduling, and age differed slightly between groups at baseline.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that global postural exercises are superior for improving balance or postural control. This study found no change in postural sway for either intervention, suggesting that specific balance training may still be required if that is a treatment goal.