Workplace Exercise Therapy With or Without Manual Therapy in Chronic Spinal Pain

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Exercise therapy: Exercises will target the neck, upper and lower back, and upper and lower limbs, and will include military press, lateral raises, front raises, trapezius raises, rear deltoid exercise, low- and high-row exercises, good mornings with extended arms, deadlifts, squats, lunges, biceps curls, chest press, and calf raises. The protocol will be performed twice a week for 8 weeks.

Manual Therapy: Manual therapy maneuvers twice per week for 8 weeks

Sham Manual Therapy: Simulated manual therapy maneuvers twice per week for 8 weeks

Study summary

Implementing workplace strategies to manage symptoms in office workers with chronic nonspecific spinal pain (CNSP) may improve both health- and work-related outcomes, as adherence to these interventions is more feasible in this context. Exercise therapy is considered the first-line treatment for CNSP; however, the added value of combining exercise therapy with manual therapy remains inconclusive. This study aims to examine the effects of short sessions of exercise therapy plus manual therapy, compared with exercise therapy plus sham manual therapy, delivered in the workplace, on health- and work-related outcomes in office workers with CNSP.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Work productivity and pain-related activity impairment (WPAI: Pain) — At baseline, 8 weeks (end of treatment), 3 months, and 6 months post-treatment
  WPAI: Pain is a self-reported instrument which assess impact of pain on work productivity and daily activities, including absenteeism, work-impairment, presenteeism, and activity-impairment
• Pain intensity (Numeric Rating Scale) — At baseline, 8 weeks (end of treatment), 3 months, and 6 months post-treatment
  The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) measures pain intensity on a scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst possible pain), allowing self-reported assessment of pain intensity over the past week.
• Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) — At 8 weeks (end of treatment), 3 months, and 6 months post-treatment
  The Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) assesses a patient's overall perception of improvement or change in their condition since the start of treatment, using a standardized 7-point scale from 'very much improved' to 'very much worse.'
• Neck Disability Index (NDI) — At baseline, 8 weeks (end of treatment), 3 months, and 6 months post-treatment
  Neck Disability Index (NDI) measures self-reported neck pain-related disability, including impact on daily activities, work, and function; higher scores indicate greater disability. Administered only to participants reporting neck pain
• Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) — At baseline, 8 weeks (end of treatment), 3 months, and 6 months post-treatment
  The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) measures self-reported disability related to low back pain, evaluating the impact on daily activities, work, and functional limitations, with higher scores indicating greater disability. Administered only to participants reporting low back pain
• Adverse events — During the 8 weeks of interventions.
  Adverse events will be defined as any undesirable or harmful outcomes occurring during or after the intervention. At each exercise or manual therapy session, participants will be asked whether they have experienced any exacerbation of symptoms, including but not limited to pain, unusual fatigue, edema, tendinopathy, excessive delayed-onset muscle soreness (≥7/10), bursitis, or any other symptoms that limit or interfere with daily activities.

Trial sites (1)

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