Telerehabilitation, Face-to-Face Exercises, and a Mixed Model in Chronic Non-Specific Neck Pain

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effectiveness of different physical therapy delivery models in treating chronic non-specific neck pain in adults aged 20-40 years with a history of neck pain for three months or longer.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Which approach (tele-rehabilitation, face-to-face exercises, or a mixed model) is most effective at reducing neck pain intensity and functional disability?
* Are there significant differences between the three models in improving cervical range of motion, kinesiophobia (fear of movement), patient satisfaction, and adherence to the exercise program?

Researchers will compare three groups to see if the delivery model affects outcomes:

1. A tele-rehabilitation group receiving real-time, video-guided exercise sessions.
2. A face-to-face group receiving traditional, in-person supervised exercise sessions.
3. A mixed-model group receiving a combination of both tele-rehabilitation and face-to-face sessions.

Participants will:

* Be randomly assigned to one of the three groups.
* Engage in a structured exercise program for 45-60 minutes per session, three times a week for six weeks.
* Follow a phased exercise protocol that begins with mobility and pain reduction, progresses to strengthening, and finishes with endurance and functional training.
* Complete assessments for pain, disability, range of motion, and other outcomes at the beginning and end of the 6-week intervention, with a final follow-up at 3 months.

Conditions

• Chronic Non-specific Neck Pain

Interventions

OTHER

Real-Time Video-Guided Neck Exercises (Tele-Rehabilitation)

Intervention 1: Real-Time Video-Guided Neck Exercises (Tele-Rehabilitation) How the Intervention is Administered: Delivery Method: Real-time video conferencing App Frequency: 3 sessions per week Duration: 6 weeks (18 total sessions) Session Length: 45-60 minutes per session Supervision: Live physiotherapist supervision with real-time feedback and exercise modification Setting: Participant's home or preferred location with stable internet connection Materials Provided: Illustrated exercise guide (provided digitally and in print) Access to video conferences for sessions Optional: Resistance bands for home use

OTHER

In-Person Supervised Neck Exercises (Face-to-Face)

How the Intervention is Administered: Delivery Method: In-person supervised sessions at clinical facility Frequency: 3 sessions per week Duration: 6 weeks (18 total sessions) Session Length: 45-60 minutes per session Supervision: Direct physiotherapist supervision with hands-on guidance and real-time feedback Setting: Clinical rehabilitation facility

OTHER

Hybrid Tele-Rehabilitation and In-Person Exercises (Mixed Model)

How the Intervention is Administered: Delivery Method: Alternating weekly blocks of tele-rehabilitation (video conferencing and face-to-face sessions Frequency: 3 sessions per week (alternating delivery) Duration: 6 weeks (18 total sessions: 9 tele-rehabilitation + 9 face-to-face) Session Length: 45-60 minutes per session Supervision: Live physiotherapist supervision for both modalities Setting: Mixed (participant's home for tele-rehabilitation weeks; clinical facility for face-to-face weeks) Weekly Schedule: • Weeks 1, 3, 5: Three face-to-face sessions per week at clinical facility • Weeks 2, 4, 6: Three tele-rehabilitation sessions per week via Microsoft Teams Materials Provided: • Illustrated exercise guide (provided in both digital and print formats) • Access to video conferencing App for tele-rehabilitation sessions • Access to clinical facility equipment during face-to-face weeks • Optional: Resistance bands for home use during tele-rehabilitation week

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cairo University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Mona Mohamed Ibrahim, Assistant Professor · Cairo University

• Moaaz Ragab Riyad, Lecturer of Physical therapy · Cairo University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

20 Years

Max Age

45 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-02-24

Primary Completion

2026-07-31

Completion

2026-12-31

Countries

• Egypt

Study Locations