A Neck Orthosis with Multi-Directional Stiffness for Resistance Training

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Neck pain is a prevalent condition impacting the general population and healthcare systems.
• Physical therapy is a primary treatment, but optimal exercise regimens remain debated.
• Mobile neck orthoses offer multilateral support, potentially enhancing exercise variety compared to unilateral methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel passive orthosis for neck exercises.
• To investigate the use of adjustable stiffness in a passive neck orthosis.
• To quantify changes in muscle effort during cervical rotation and flexion using the developed orthosis.

Main Methods:

• Design and explanation of a passive, adjustable stiffness neck orthosis.
• User experiment involving healthy volunteers performing neck exercises (rotation, flexion).
• Quantification of muscle activation changes across different stiffness settings.

Main Results:

• The novel passive orthosis demonstrated significant changes in muscle effort for all tested movements.
• Cervical rotations with the orthosis showed muscle activation levels comparable to traditional physical therapy exercises.
• Adjustable stiffness configurations effectively modulated user muscle engagement.

Conclusions:

• A novel passive neck orthosis with adjustable stiffness is feasible for physical therapy applications.
• This device can provide a versatile tool for neck exercise rehabilitation.
• The findings support the potential of passive orthoses in improving neck pain management through tailored exercise interventions.