The effect of stabilization and maximum isometric exercises on cross sectional area of deep flexor muscles in chronic non-specific neck pain

The aim of this study was to compare effectiveness of stabilization exercises with maximum Isometric exercises on crossed sectional area of deep flexor muscles, pain and disability in Chronic Neck Pain. In clinical trail study fifty patients with chronic neck pain were recruited. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a stabilization (n=25) or a maximum isometric exercise group (n=25). Before and after intervention (4,8,12 weeks) pain was assessed with visual analog scale (ordinal), disability (ordinal) with Neck Stability Index (NDI) and crossed sectional Area with sonography device. A 48 session exercise program which 8 weeks. six session per week, and per session was performed for both groups. Repeated measurement of analysis variance, Independent t-test and paired t-test were used for comparison between pretreatment and post treatment test results between groups and within groups, respectively. The mean neck pain decreased in the stabilization group and maximum isometric group (p=0/482). The mean disability (NDI) decreased with significant difference in both groups (p<0/001). The mean Cross Sectional Area (CSA) of deep flexor muscles increased in stabilization group (P<0/001) but no changed in maximum isometric exercises group (P>0/05) This study showed that neck specific stabilization exercises and maximum isometric exercises decrease pain, disability but stabilization exercises was more useful than maximum isometric procedure and increase CSA of deep flexor muscles occurred in both sides in specific stabilization exercises group.