Chronic neck pain and exercise interventions: frequency, intensity, time, and type principle

Area of Science:

• Physiotherapy
• Exercise Science
• Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation

Background:

• Chronic neck pain is a prevalent condition impacting quality of life.
• Identifying optimal exercise components is crucial for effective physiotherapy interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the most effective components of active exercise physiotherapy for chronic neck pain using the FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) principle.
• To guide individualized exercise prescription for chronic neck pain patients.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of quantitative design studies focusing on active exercise interventions for chronic neck pain.
• Inclusion of studies with a Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale score of ≥6.
• Extraction and synthesis of data on exercise type, frequency, intensity, isometric strength, Neck Disability Index, and pain scores.

Main Results:

• Multimodal physiotherapy interventions, combining active strengthening with stretching and aerobic exercises, yielded superior outcomes.
• Active strengthening exercises demonstrated benefits across strength, function, quality of life, and pain reduction.
• Specific FITT principle parameters for optimal exercise prescription were synthesized from the evidence.

Conclusions:

• Multimodal physiotherapy approaches are more effective than stand-alone interventions for chronic neck pain.
• Active strengthening exercises are fundamental, with added stretching and aerobic components enhancing benefits.
• Tailored exercise programs based on the FITT principle can significantly improve patient outcomes.