Telemedicine versus conventional care for nonspecific neck pain: a randomized controlled study

Area of Science:

• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• Digital Health
• Pain Management

Background:

• Nonspecific neck pain (NNP) presents challenges for patients due to travel barriers.
• Telemedicine (TM) offers a potential solution to overcome these barriers.
• A comprehensive, physiatrist-supervised TM model for NNP has not been directly compared to standard in-clinic care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if a video-based exercise and remote follow-up program is as effective as conventional follow-up for reducing pain and disability in NNP.
• To compare the efficacy of TM versus in-clinic care for NNP management.

Main Methods:

• A parallel-group randomized controlled trial included 68 adults with NNP.
• Participants were allocated to either a TM group (video exercises, virtual visits) or a control group (printed exercises, in-clinic visits).
• Primary outcomes included pain (Visual Analog Scale - VAS) and disability (Neck Disability Index - NDI) measured over 3 months. Intention-to-treat analysis was used.

Main Results:

• Both TM and control groups showed clinically significant reductions in VAS pain scores.
• Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores improved similarly in both groups, indicating comparable effectiveness.
• Exercise adherence and patient satisfaction were similar between groups, while the TM group significantly reduced travel time and distance.

Conclusions:

• A structured telemedicine program with remote physiatrist supervision is as effective as conventional outpatient care for managing nonspecific neck pain.
• Future research should focus on larger, long-term studies to optimize TM support and evaluate cost-effectiveness in diverse populations.