Nordic Pole Walking: Participants will perform Nordic pole walking using Nordic walking poles for 6 weeks, 3 sessions per week, with each session lasting 40 minutes. Participants will walk with coordinated upper- and lower-extremity movements while actively planting and pushing the poles during walking.
General Walking: Participants will perform general walking for 6 weeks, 3 sessions per week, with each session lasting 40 minutes.
Study summary
This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effects of Nordic pole walking on pain, neck-related disability, pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, and postural alignment in adults with forward head posture and neck pain.
Participants will be randomly assigned to either a Nordic pole walking group or a general walking group. Both groups will participate in a 6-week walking program, three times per week, with each session lasting 40 minutes.
Neck-related disability and pain will be assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Pulmonary function will be assessed using forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and the FEV1/FVC ratio. Respiratory muscle strength will be evaluated using maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), and postural alignment will be assessed using the craniovertebral angle (CVA). Measurements will be performed before and after the 6-week intervention.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
20 Years
Max age
—
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion Criteria:
* Adults aged 20 years or older
* Craniovertebral angle (CVA) \< 50°
* Neck pain lasting at least 3 months
* Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score \> 4
Exclusion Criteria:
* Individuals currently participating in an exercise program related to neck pain management or postural correction
* Individuals with musculoskeletal disorders that limit the ability to perform the exercise intervention
* Individuals with respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis, or pneumonia
* Individuals who have been regular smokers within the past 6 months
Primary outcome measure(s)
Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for Neck Pain — Baseline and 6 weeks Neck pain intensity will be assessed using a 10-cm horizontal Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The left end of the line represents no pain (0), and the right end represents very severe pain (10). To minimize bias, numerical values will not be displayed on the line. Participants will mark the point that best represents their perceived pain intensity, and the distance from the left end to the marked point will be measured with a ruler. Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.
Neck Disability Index (NDI) — Baseline and 6 weeks Neck-related disability will be assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI), a 10-item self-reported questionnaire. Each item is scored from 0 to 5, resulting in a raw total score ranging from 0 to 50. The raw total score will be multiplied by 2 and converted to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating greater neck-related disability. The change in NDI score from baseline to 6 weeks will be evaluated.
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
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