Effects of the craniocervical flexion and isometric neck exercise compared in patients with chronic neck pain: A randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: The present study compared the effects of neck isometric exercise (NIE) and craniocervical flexion exercise (CFE) on cervical lordosis, muscle endurance of cervical flexion, neck disability index (NDI), and active cervical range of motion (ACROM) in all three planes in patients with non-specific, chronic neck pain (CNP).

Materials And Methods: Forty-one patients from a university hospital-based rehabilitation center were randomly assigned to an experimental (22 patients performing CFE) or control (19 patients performing NIE) group. All patients performed three 30-second repetitions of stretching exercises for the neck flexor, extensor, lateral flexor, and rotator as warm-up and cool-down exercises.

Effects of stabilization exercise using a ball on mutifidus cross-sectional area in patients with chronic low back pain.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of lumbar stabilization exercises using balls to the effects of general lumbar stabilization exercises with respect to changes in the cross section of the multifidus (MF), weight bearing, pain, and functional disorders in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain. Twelve patients participated in either a 8 week (3 days per week) stabilization exercise program using balls and control group (n = 12). The computer tomography (CT) was used to analyze MF cross-sectional areas (CSA) and Tetrax balancing scale was used to analyze left and right weight bearing differences.