Neck DisabilityNCT07867743
Effects of a Classroom-Integrated Exercise Program on Neck Health and Performance in Dental Students
A study testing Exercise program in people with Neck Disability, run by Giresun University.
Trial summary
This non-randomized controlled intervention study aims to evaluate the effects of a six-week structured exercise program integrated into anatomy laboratory sessions on neck pain, neck-related disability, musculoskeletal symptoms, physical performance, and laboratory performance among first- and second-year dental… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Neck Disability
- What is being tested?
- Exercise program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 64 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 8 Oct 2026to 28 Feb 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Being a first- or second-year dental student at Giresun University.
- Being older than 18 years.
- Providing voluntary informed consent
Who cannot join
- Diagnosed cervical disc herniation
- Rheumatological disease
- History of neck trauma
- Receiving regular physiotherapy
- Chronic neurological disease
About this study
Official title: Effects of a Classroom-Integrated Exercise Program on Neck Health, Physical Performance, and Laboratory Performance in Dental Students: A Non-Randomized Controlled Intervention Study
This non-randomized controlled intervention study aims to evaluate the effects of a six-week structured exercise program integrated into anatomy laboratory sessions on neck pain, neck-related disability, musculoskeletal symptoms, physical performance, and laboratory performance among first- and second-year dental students at Giresun University.
Second-year students will constitute the intervention group, while first-year students will serve as controls and continue their routine educational activities. The intervention consists of five-minute exercise sessions performed twice weekly before anatomy laboratory classes for six weeks. Assessments will be conducted at baseline and at the end of the intervention, with additional assessments of neck pain and disability at week three and six.
Read the detailed description
Musculoskeletal symptoms, particularly neck-related complaints, are common among dental students and may begin during the early stages of professional training. Prolonged static posture, neck flexion, and ergonomically unfavorable positions during educational and laboratory activities may contribute to the development of these symptoms. Integrating brief preventive exercises into routine educational activities may therefore provide a feasible approach to promoting musculoskeletal health without requiring additional sessions outside the curriculum.
This study is a non-randomized, controlled, pretest-posttest intervention study conducted among first- and second-year dental students at Giresun University. Individual randomization is not feasible because anatomy laboratory sessions are conducted with each academic year attending as a whole group. Therefore, second-year students constitute the intervention group and first-year students constitute the control group.
The intervention consists of a structured six-week exercise program integrated into anatomy laboratory sessions. The program is designed to include brief exercises targeting cervical mobility and strength, posture, and scapular musculature. The control group continues its routine educational activities without receiving the exercise intervention during the study period.
Participants are evaluated before and after the intervention using self-reported and objective measures addressing neck health, musculoskeletal symptoms, and physical performance. Selected neck-related outcomes are also assessed during the intervention period. Laboratory performance and participants' responses to the exercise program are monitored during the study period. The overall aim is to determine whether a brief exercise program that can be incorporated into routine anatomy laboratory education has beneficial effects on neck health and related functional and physical outcomes in dental students.
- Conditions
- Neck Disability
- Being tested
- Exercise program
- Keywords
- Neck disability, dental students, physical performance
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Exercise programBehavioural
The intervention consists of a six-week structured exercise program performed twice weekly before anatomy laboratory sessions. Each session lasts approximately five minutes and includes breathing exercises, cervical mobility exercises, isometric cervical strengthening, postural exercises, and scapular strengthening. The first two weeks are supervised by a researcher, followed by video-guided sessions for the remaining four weeks. No exercise equipment is required.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention arm: Exercise Intervention Group | Experimental | Intervention arm: Second-year dental students will participate in a six-week structured exercise program integrated into anatomy laboratory sessions. Receives: Behavioral: Exercise program |
| Control arm: Control Group | No intervention | First-year dental students will continue their routine anatomy laboratory education without receiving the exercise intervention. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
neck disability index
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 total score ranging from 0 to 50. Higher scores indicate greater neck-related disability.
Measured: Baseline, week 3, and week 6
Change in Cervical and Shoulder Muscle Strength
Muscle strength will be assessed isometrically using a handheld dynamometer. Cervical flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and shoulder external rotation strength will be measured in the sitting position. Each measurement will be performed three times, with at least 30 seconds of rest between measurements, and the highest value will be recorded. Higher values indicate greater muscle strength.
Measured: Baseline and 6 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Oct 2026
- Study start8 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion27 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion28 Feb 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Neck DisabilityStudies 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
- Other
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 64 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Giresun University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Asuman Okur, Giresun University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07867743
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- GRU-HS-AO-01
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 5 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 9 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be shared.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 9 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of a Classroom-Integrated Exercise Program on Neck Health, Physical Performance, and Laboratory Performance in Dental Students: A Non-Randomized Controlled Intervention Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07867743
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- GRU-HS-AO-01
- Conditions
- Neck Disability
- Keywords
- Neck disability, dental students, physical performance
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 64 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Giresun UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 8 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 27 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 28 Feb 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 9 Oct 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This non-randomized controlled intervention study aims to evaluate the effects of a six-week structured exercise program integrated into anatomy laboratory sessions on neck pain, neck-related disability, musculoskeletal symptoms, physical performance, and laboratory performance among first- and second-year dental students at Giresun University.
Second-year students will constitute the intervention group, while first-year students will serve as controls and continue their routine educational activities. The intervention consists of five-minute exercise sessions performed twice weekly before anatomy laboratory classes for six weeks. Assessments will be conducted at baseline and at the end of the intervention, with additional assessments of neck pain and disability at week three and six.
Detailed description
Musculoskeletal symptoms, particularly neck-related complaints, are common among dental students and may begin during the early stages of professional training. Prolonged static posture, neck flexion, and ergonomically unfavorable positions during educational and laboratory activities may contribute to the development of these symptoms. Integrating brief preventive exercises into routine educational activities may therefore provide a feasible approach to promoting musculoskeletal health without requiring additional sessions outside the curriculum.
This study is a non-randomized, controlled, pretest-posttest intervention study conducted among first- and second-year dental students at Giresun University. Individual randomization is not feasible because anatomy laboratory sessions are conducted with each academic year attending as a whole group. Therefore, second-year students constitute the intervention group and first-year students constitute the control group.
The intervention consists of a structured six-week exercise program integrated into anatomy laboratory sessions. The program is designed to include brief exercises targeting cervical mobility and strength, posture, and scapular musculature. The control group continues its routine educational activities without receiving the exercise intervention during the study period.
Participants are evaluated before and after the intervention using self-reported and objective measures addressing neck health, musculoskeletal symptoms, and physical performance. Selected neck-related outcomes are also assessed during the intervention period. Laboratory performance and participants' responses to the exercise program are monitored during the study period. The overall aim is to determine whether a brief exercise program that can be incorporated into routine anatomy laboratory education has beneficial effects on neck health and related functional and physical outcomes in dental students.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention arm: Exercise Intervention Group | Experimental | Behavioral: Exercise programIntervention arm: Second-year dental students will participate in a six-week structured exercise program integrated into anatomy laboratory sessions. |
| Control arm: Control Group | No intervention | –First-year dental students will continue their routine anatomy laboratory education without receiving the exercise intervention. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Being a first- or second-year dental student at Giresun University.
- Being older than 18 years.
- Providing voluntary informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Diagnosed cervical disc herniation
- Rheumatological disease
- History of neck trauma
- Receiving regular physiotherapy
- Chronic neurological disease
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise programThe intervention consists of a six-week structured exercise program performed twice weekly before anatomy laboratory sessions. Each session lasts approximately five minutes and includes breathing exercises, cervical mobility exercises, isometric cervical strengthening, postural exercises, and scapular strengthening. The first two weeks are supervised by a researcher, followed by video-guided sessions for the remaining four weeks. No exercise equipment is required. | Behavioural | Intervention arm: Exercise Intervention Group |
Primary outcome
neck disability index
Time frame: Baseline, week 3, and week 6
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 total score ranging from 0 to 50. Higher scores indicate greater neck-related disability.
Change in Cervical and Shoulder Muscle Strength
Time frame: Baseline and 6 weeks
Muscle strength will be assessed isometrically using a handheld dynamometer. Cervical flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and shoulder external rotation strength will be measured in the sitting position. Each measurement will be performed three times, with at least 30 seconds of rest between measurements, and the highest value will be recorded. Higher values indicate greater muscle strength.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 9 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data will not be shared.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Exercise program in people with Neck Disability, run by Giresun University.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
neck disability index (time frame: Baseline, week 3, and week 6). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 9 Oct 2026.