Abstract
PURPOSE: Previous investigations have associated weakness of neck muscles with a higher likelihood of developing neck pain. However, no previous investigation has examined the influence of neck stabilization exercise (NSE) and dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS) on pain intensity, forward head angle (FHA) and muscle activity. METHODS: A total of 45 female employees with chronic non-specific neck pain (CNNP) underwent measurements of pain intensity, FHA and electrical activity of muscles in a slump posture, before and after either NSE or DNS. RESULTS: After both stabilization exercise (SE) and DNS the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) (F (2,39) = 17.61, p = 0.001, partial η² = 0.475) and forward head posture (FHP), (F (2,39) = 5.509, p = 0.008, partial η² = 0.220), had decreased. Both interventions also decreased the activity in the cervical erector spinae muscle (F (2,39) = 5.31, p = 0.009, partial η² = 0.214), the upper trapezius muscle (F (2,39) = 5.41, p = 0.008, partial η² = 0.217) in slump typing posture, but there was no significant effect on the activity in the sternocleidomastoid muscle (F (2,39) = 2.65, p = 0.083, partial η² = 0.120). CONCLUSION: Both DNS and SE exercises diminished pain intensity, forward head and muscle activity after 6 weeks in patients with CNSNP. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, randomized controlled trials with adequate statistical power.