Chronic Mechanical Neck PainNCT07791680
Bruegger's Relief Exercise in Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain
A study testing Bruegger's Relief Exercise + Conventional Physical Therapy and Conventional Treatment in people with Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain, run by Riphah International University at 1 site in Pakistan.
Trial summary
The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to determine the effect of Bruegger's Relief Exercise combined with conventional physical therapy on pain intensity, functional disability, cervical range of motion, and craniovertebral angle in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 to 50 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain
- What is being tested?
- Bruegger's Relief Exercise + Conventional Physical Therapy and Conventional Treatment
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 44 participants
- Where
- 1 sitePakistan
- Study dates
- Sep 2026to 5 Aug 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 20 to 50 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- • Participants falling in this category would be recruited into the study.
- Age 20-50 years
- Diagnosis of chronic mechanical neck pain (>3 months)
- Pain intensity ≥ 3/10 on NPRS
- Neck Disability Index score ≥ 10/50
- Willing to participate and provide informed consent
Who cannot join
- • Participants falling in this category would be excluded from the study.
- History of cervical spine fracture or surgery
- Systemic musculoskeletal or neurological disease
- Recent whiplash injury (within 6 months)
- Botulinum toxin injection within previous 6 months
- Severe structural deformity (e.g., torticollis, severe scoliosis)
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- Red flag signs (fever, unexplained weight loss, progressive neurological deficit)
- Positive cervical instability tests (Sharp-Purser or Alar ligament test)
- Clinical signs of cervical radiculopathy (positive Spurling's/ULTT/distraction test)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
KINZA ANWAR, MS-OMPT contact
Pakistan1 site
AR Medical Complex, Mirpur, Azad Kashmir
Mīrpur, Azad Kashmir, 46000
KINZA ANWAR, MS-OMPT, 03319735427, kinza.anwar@riphah.edu.pk
Aiemen Razzaq, MS-OMPT*
About this study
Official title: Effect of Bruegger's Relief Exercise on Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to determine the effect of Bruegger's Relief Exercise combined with conventional physical therapy on pain intensity, functional disability, cervical range of motion, and craniovertebral angle in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain
Read the detailed description
Neck pain is the second most prevalent musculoskeletal disorder worldwide. Neck pain persisting for more than three months is classified as chronic neck pain (CNP). Individuals with chronic mechanical neck pain (CMNP) exhibit distinct neuromuscular and epidemiological characteristics This imbalance contributes to impaired cervical stability and altered movement control.According to the Global Burden of Disease 2019 report, the global age-standardized prevalence of neck pain was approximately 2,696.5 per 100,000 population (≈2.7%), with an incidence rate of 579.1 per 100,000 population (≈0.58%). In Pakistan, musculoskeletal pain among young adults has been reported to range between 55-60%, with neck pain representing a major complaint Forward head posture (FHP) is a common postural deviation associated with chronic mechanical neck pain. It is highly prevalent, affecting approximately 62% of young adults in Pakistan and nearly 64% globally. FHP is characterized by anterior translation of the head, lower cervical flexion, and often increased upper cervical extension. The craniovertebral angle (CVA), defined as the angle formed between a horizontal line through the C7 spinous process and a line connecting the tragus of the ear to C7, is commonly used to quantify forward head posture. A reduced CVA indicates greater forward head translation and has been associated with increased pain intensity and reduced endurance of the deep cervical flexor muscles. Postural deviation and neuromuscular imbalance contribute to mechanical stress on cervical structures, functional limitations, and persistent symptoms in individuals with CMNP.
Given the high prevalence of forward head posture and its association with chronic mechanical neck pain, interventions targeting postural correction and neuromuscular re-education may be clinically beneficial.
This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of Bruegger's Relief Exercise combined with conventional physical therapy on pain intensity, functional disability, cervical range of motion, and craniovertebral angle in individuals with chronic mechanical neck pain.
- Conditions
- Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain
- Being tested
- Bruegger's Relief Exercise + Conventional Physical Therapy, Conventional Treatment
- Keywords
- Bruegger's Relief Exercise, Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain, Forward Head Posture, Craniovertebral Angle, Neck Disability
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Bruegger's Relief Exercise + Conventional Physical TherapyOther
Bruegger's Relief Exercise. High sitting neutral posture with feet flat on the floor and a light resistance band held across the thighs. 1A gentle chin tuck is performed to maintain cervical alignment. The movement includes 2 shoulder abduction and external rotation 3. Elbow extension 4. Forearm supination 5. Wrist extension 6. Finger and thumb abduction, coordinated with diaphragmatic breathing. (Hold duration: 10-30 seconds with progression of 2 seconds per session). 12 repetitions per session with 30-second rest interval between holds. Total duration is 3 sessions per week for 4 consecutive weeks.
Conventional TreatmentOther
Conventional PT including 1- Cervical ROM exercises (flexion, extension, rotation, lateral flexion) 2- Stretching of upper trapezius and levator scapulae (30 sec hold × 3 repetitions) 3- Cervical isometric strengthening in all directions 4- Scapular stabilization exercises (elevation-depression, protraction-retraction) (Dosage: 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions). Total duration is 3 sessions per week for 4 consecutive weeks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental: Bruegger's Relief Exercise + Conventional Physical Therapy | Experimental | Bruegger's Relief Exercise + Conventional Physical Therapy Receives: Other: Bruegger's Relief Exercise + Conventional Physical Therapy |
| Conventional Physical Therapy | Experimental | Conventional Physical Therapy Receives: Other: Conventional Treatment |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Numeric Pain Rating Scale
An 11-point scale (0-10) used to assess pain intensity. 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates worst imaginable pain. Participants verbally report their pain score
Measured: Baseline, Week 2, Week 4
Neck Disability Index
The NDI is a 10-item questionnaire assessing functional disability related to neck pain. Each item is scored 0-5 with total score range 0-50. Higher scores indicate greater disability.
Measured: Baseline, Week 2, Week 4
Cervical Range of Motion
A universal goniometer will be used to measure cervical flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation
Measured: Baseline, Week 2, Week 4
Craniovertebral Angle
CVA will be measured using the Angle - Video Goniometer mobile application via lateral photographic analysis. A smaller angle indicates greater forward head posture.
Measured: Baseline, Week 2, Week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 Aug 2026
- Study startSep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion5 Aug 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Chronic Mechanical Neck PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 44 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Riphah International University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- KINZA ANWAR, MS-OMPT, Principal investigator, Riphah International University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07791680
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Aiemen Razzaq
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 25 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 28 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No