Effects of isometric training on the treatment of patients with neck pain: A meta-analysis

The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of isometric training interventions on the treatment of patients with neck pain.

Electronic databases, including PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, etc., were retrieved and screened by computer, and 18 articles with a total of 868 samples were included. Review Manager 5.4 software was used for the meta-analysis.

The meta-analysis results showed that isometric training can reduce visual analogue scale scores of patients[weighted mean difference (95% confidence interval) = -0.80(-0.88, -0.73), P < .00001]; decrease patients neck disability index score, isometric training was better than the control group [weighted mean difference (95% confidence interval) = 5.55 (4.57, 6.53), P < .0001]; in improving patients' motion of the sagittal plane [weighted mean difference (95% confidence interval) = 1.53 (-0.40, 3.63), P = .12], coronal plane [weighted mean difference (95% confidence interval) = 2.12 (0.56, 3.68), P = .008], horizontal plane [weighted mean difference (95% confidence interval) = 3.58 (1.56, 5.59), P = .0005], isometric training was superior to the control group. More than 20 isometric training interventions had more significant effects on visual analogue scale and range of motion. And isometric training for more than 8 weeks had more significant effects on the visual analogue scale and neck disability index scores.

Isometric training has significant effects on relieving neck pain, improving neck dysfunction, and improving joint mobility. However, the two indicators of visual analogue scale and neck disability index had more influential factors; the sample size of most studies was relatively small, and the intervention measures in the control group were relatively simple. It is expected that more abundant research will expand and deepen in the future, laying the foundation for meta-analysis.