Neck and Low Back Pain in Physical Therapy Students at The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of neck and low back pain among physical therapy students enrolled at The University of the West Indies, Mona. It also aims to assess students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding spine health and to evaluate the effectiveness of an eight-week standardised spine-specific exercise programme in reducing musculoskeletal pain and improving functional status among those reporting symptoms. The study will be conducted in two phases, beginning with a descriptive cross-sectional assessment of prevalence, followed by a prospective randomised controlled trial in which students experiencing neck and/or low back pain will be allocated to either a spine-specific exercise intervention group or a non-spine-specific exercise control group for comparative analysis of outcomes.

Conditions

• Spine Health
• Back Pain
• Low Back Pain
• Musculoskeletal Pain
• Physical Therapy
• Physiotherapist Students
• Physiotherapy
• Rehabilitation
• Neck Pain

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Clinical Control Group (Group A)

The participants who reported the presence of neck or low back pain and were assigned to the clinical control group (Group A) after randomisation will receive a non-spine specific exercise program provided in a handout. The interventional group (Group B) will be asked to keep the standardised spine-specific exercise program confidential and not share with the control group (Group A). After eight (8) weeks, Group A participants will receive: the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaires (CMDQ) to assess for changes in the frequency, discomfort and interference with work due to musculoskeletal pain; a Questionnaire B, to ascertain any changes in their pain level using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS); as well as their knowledge, attitude and practice towards musculoskeletal problems of the neck and low back pain.

BEHAVIORAL

Spine Exercise Program (Group B)

The standardised spine-specific exercise program will be provided in a handout and given only to the intervention group (Group B), and will include specific spine basic neck or low back exercises to be done three (3) times per week, as well as brief stretching exercises, to be done during periods of sitting for greater than sixty (60) minutes. The selected participants will be asked to comply with instructions on the handout. Participants who experience worsening of their symptoms, or who develop new symptoms will be assessed as having an adverse outcome and will be withdrawn from the study and referred for evaluation and treatment if necessary.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of The West Indies, Mona

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• The University of The West Indies

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Paula U.A Dawson, MBBS, Diplomate ABPMR · Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-04-01

Primary Completion

2027-03-31

Completion

2027-03-31

Countries

• Jamaica

Study Locations