Home exercises for neck pain: A Delphi survey

Area of Science:

• Physical Therapy
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Musculoskeletal Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for accessible home-based interventions for neck pain.
• Increased prevalence of neck pain necessitates effective, self-managed exercise strategies.
• A gap exists in validated home exercise protocols specifically designed for neck pain relief.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive home exercise protocol for individuals experiencing neck pain.
• To validate the protocol through expert consensus and cultural adaptation.
• To provide a practical and accessible tool for neck pain management.

Main Methods:

• An observational study involving literature review, Delphi technique validation by 12 physical therapists, and cultural adaptation with 15 young adults (18-30 years) with neck pain.
• Consensus on protocol items was achieved with >=75% agreement using a five-point Likert scale.
• Pain intensity was assessed before and after protocol implementation.

Main Results:

• A 4-week protocol focusing on neck and scapular stabilization and upper limb movements was finalized after two Delphi rounds with 9 physical therapists achieving >75% agreement.
• The protocol was successfully culturally adapted, with 73% of participants reporting a minimally clinically important difference in pain reduction.
• The protocol demonstrated effectiveness in improving neck pain.

Conclusions:

• A validated and culturally adapted 4-week home exercise protocol for neck pain has been established.
• The protocol is an understandable, practical, and convenient tool for managing neck pain.
• Implementation of the protocol led to significant improvements in neck pain.