Effects of Muscle Energy Technique and Neck Stabilization Exercises on Pain, Psychological Status, and Sleep Disturbance in Patients with Non-Specific Chronic Neck Pain

Background: Neck pain is one of the most common and painful musculoskeletal conditions. It is a problem in societies probably due to the widespread use of electronic gadgets such as computers, mobile phones, and tablets. It causes pain, functional disability, depression, and sleep disturbances. Therapeutic exercises have been known to be one of the major interventions to improve chronic neck pain. Objectives: This randomized controlled study aimed to compare the efficacy of muscle energy technique (MET) and neck stabilization exercise (NSE) on pain, neck disability, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance in patients with non-specific chronic neck pain (NSCNP). Methods: Thirty-five participants participated in this study. They were recruited from two hospitals in Lagos state and randomly assigned into 3 groups using computer-generated random number sequence. Group 1 (n = 12) received MET, neck care education (NCE), and infra-red radiation (IR), group 2 (n = 12) received NSE, neck care education (NCE), and IR, and group 3 (n = 11) received NCE and IR. Assessment of pain, neck disability, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance were done using numerical pain rating scale (NPRS), neck disability index (NDI), hospital anxiety depression scale (HADS) and Insomnia severity index (ISI) at baseline, end of 4 weeks and 8 weeks post-intervention. This study lasted for a period of 5 months (May - September, 2017). Results: The participants in the 3 groups (MET+NCE+IR, NSE+NCE+IR, NCE+IR) indicated significant improvement in all the outcome parameters; pain (P = 0.001, 0.001, 0.001, respectively), disability (P = 0.002, P = 0.002, P = 0.003, respectively), depression (P = 0.02, 0.002, 0.003, respectively), anxiety (P = 0.01, P = 0.002, P = 0.03, respectively), and sleep disturbance (P = 0.01, P = 0.002, P = 0.01, respectively) post-intervention. Significant differences were observed in all outcome parameters except for depression (P = 0.456) and anxiety (P = 0.179) when across group comparisons were performed. Conclusions: Muscle energy technique and neck stabilization exercises and neck care are all effective in managing pain, neck disability, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance in NSCNP patients, but neck stabilization exercises have a better effect than a muscle energy technique.