Effects of a home-exercise therapy programme on cervical and lumbar range of motion in nurses
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN19278735 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN19278735 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | N/A |
- Submission date
- 25/11/2015
- Registration date
- 27/11/2015
- Last edited
- 02/12/2020
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Musculoskeletal Diseases
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Work-related musculoskeletal pain (pain caused by an injury to the bones, joints and/or muscles) is a serious problem among hospital staff. Nurses have been found to be particularly vulnerable to neck (cervical) and lower back (lumbar) pain, due to daily moving and handling of patients. In many cases, the pain experienced can lead to people avoiding physical activity, which can actually make the problem worse. It has been found that simple exercises designed to gradually increase the range of motion (ROM) of joints could help to reduce pain and stiffness, as well as strengthening muscles. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a home-based exercise programme can help to reduce pain and ROM in intensive care nurses.
Who can participate?
Intensive care nurses who have suffered from mild to moderate MSP during the past 6 months.
What does the study involve?
At the start of the study, participants are interviewed in order to assess the intensity of back and neck pain they currently experience. Those who are experiencing the most pain undergo an 8 week programme of exercise therapy (experimental group). The participants taught exercises specially designed to improve the range of motion in their neck and back, and are asked to practice the exercises once a day, six days a week. The other participants are asked to continue with their lives as normal for the 8 week study. At the end of the 8 weeks, participants are interviewed in order to find out if their pain levels have changed. Additionally, at the start of the study and after 8 weeks, participants have the range of motion in the cervical spine (neck) and lumbar region (lower back) using a digital goniometer (device used to make precise measurements of angles).
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants may benefit from increased awareness of the importance of physical activity to maintaining their range of motion, which could help to reduce MSP in the neck and lower back. There is a risk related to over-training, which could lead to pain and discomfort.
Where is the study run from?
Tartu University Hospital (Estonia)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
September 2010 to September 2011
Who is funding the study?
Archimedes Foundation (Estonia)
Who is the main contact?
Mrs Tiina Freimann
Contact information
Scientific
Tartu University Hospital
L.Puusepa 8
Tartu
51014
Estonia
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-5611-2998 |
|---|
Study information
| Study design | Single-centre non-randomised interventional study |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Non randomised study |
| Study setting(s) | Hospital |
| Study type | Treatment |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Changes of functional characteristics of cervical and lumbar spine of intensive care unit nurses after 8-week home-exercise therapy |
| Study acronym | HETPN |
| Study objectives | The specially designed home-exercise therapy programme could improve cervical and lumbar range of motion to reduce neck and lower back pain among ICU nurses. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Research Ethics Committee of the University of Tartu, 14/03/2011, ref: 202T-19 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Cervical and lumbar range of motion |
| Intervention | The prevalence and intensity of musculo-skeletal pain (MSP) was assessed to select potential participants for the experimental group. Experimental group: Participants underwent 8-weeks of exercise therapy, with the frequency and intensity of the exercises increasing every two weeks. The participants were asked to perform exercises as one to three sets of 8–10 repetitions.The goal for subjects was to perform exercises once a day, six days a week, for 8 weeks. Control group: Participants were asked to continue their normal life, and not asked to do any additional exercises. Cervical and lumbar range of motion of participants in both groups is measured with a digital goniometer at the end of the 8 week intervention period. |
| Intervention type | Procedure/Surgery |
| Primary outcome measure | 1. Cervical range of motion (CROM) is measured using a digital goniometer (AcumarTM Digital Inclinometer, Version 5.0) at baseline and 8 weeks 2. Lumbar range of motion (LROM) is measured using a digital goniometer (AcumarTM Digital Inclinometer, Version 5.0) at baseline and 8 weeks |
| Secondary outcome measures | Pain is measured using the 11-point Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at baseline and 8 weeks. |
| Overall study start date | 09/09/2010 |
| Completion date | 23/09/2011 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Health professional |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | Total recruitment of participants (n=40); experimental group (n=13); control group (n=11). |
| Total final enrolment | 24 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Experimental group: 1. Having worked full time for at least a year in the ICU 2. Being under 40 years of age 3. Having a body mass index <32 4. Having experienced mild to moderate pain in the cervical and or lumbar regions during the previous six months Control group: 1. Being under 40 years of age 2. Having a body mass index <32 3. Experiencing no musculo-skeletal pain (MSP) during the previous six months |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Acute orthopaedic and or neurological diseases 2. Pregnancy |
| Date of first enrolment | 06/04/2011 |
| Date of final enrolment | 25/04/2011 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Estonia
Study participating centre
Tartu
50406
Estonia
Sponsor information
University/education
Ülikooli 18
Tartu
50090
Estonia
| Website | http://www.ut.ee |
|---|---|
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/03z77qz90 |
Funders
Funder type
Government
Government organisation / National government
- Alternative name(s)
- Archimedes Foundation
- Location
- Estonia
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 30/11/2015 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Planned publication in the BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation journal. |
| IPD sharing plan |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | results | 04/12/2015 | 02/12/2020 | Yes | No |
Editorial Notes
02/12/2020: The following changes have been made:
1. Publication reference added.
2. The total final enrolment number has been added from the reference.
