Effect of Alexander Technique on Neck Pain and Quality of Life in Lactating Women
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Conventional therapy, Alexander technique.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Neck Pain. Basic parameters: 20 years — 35 years · Female.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Egypt
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
This study will be conducted to investigate the effect of the Alexander technique on neck pain and quality of life in lactating women.
Detailed description
During breastfeeding, incorrect positioning and placement of hands to support the baby's weight can irritate the musculature of the hands. Repeating the same position frequently can lead to radiating pain in the elbows and hands. Additionally, adopting different postures to compensate for the pain while sitting, standing, or lying down can cause mechanical changes in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, altering the body's correct posture.
The Alexander Technique is a non-exercise approach focused on improving the modulation of postural muscle activity. It offers an individualized approach to developing skills that help people recognize, understand, and avoid poor habits that affect postural tone and neuromuscular coordination. Its lessons are associated with clinically relevant long-term reductions in neck pain and disability.
Some previous studies examined effect of Alexander technique on neck pain and on quality of life in different population, but in our knowledge this is the first study will be conducted to investigate effect of Alexander technique on neck pain and quality of life in lactating women, so this study will be conducted to provide an insight about the beneficial effect of the Alexander Technique on neck pain and quality of life in lactating women which will be of valuable benefits in the women's health field.
Interventions
- Other Conventional therapy
All participants in the two groups will receive conventional therapy in the form of TENS and moist heat for 5 weeks.TENS will be applied 5 times a week for 5 weeks at a frequency of 80Hz with 10- to 30-mA intensity for 25 minutes. Four surface electrodes (5x5 cm each) were situated over the painful region in the neck (two electrodes will be placed in either side of the spine high on neck, just underneath the skull and the other two electrodes will be placed about 5cm underneath them) with intens - Other Alexander technique
Women in the experimental group will attend 10 Alexander Technique classes (60 minutes each, twice a week for 5 weeks). The Alexander Technique focuses on body awareness, reducing muscle tension, and improving coordination through three principles: enhanced awareness, purposeful inhibition, and mental imagery. Participants will learn to release habitual muscle tension and explore alternative movement patterns, covering biomechanics and ergonomics of the neck, spine, and limbs. The sessions invol
Primary outcome measures
- Assessment of neck pain intensity [Time frame: 5 weeks]
- Quality Of Life assessment [Time frame: 5 weeks]
Secondary outcome measures (5)
- Measurement of neck flexion range of motion (ROM) [Time frame: 5 weeks]
- Measurement of neck extension range of motion (ROM) [Time frame: 5 weeks]
- Measurement of neck lateral flexion range of motion (ROM) [Time frame: 5 weeks]
- Measurement of neck rotation range of motion (ROM) [Time frame: 5 weeks]
- Assessment of neck function [Time frame: 5 weeks]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Lactating females experiencing neck pain (six weeks to 1year postpartum).
- Able to understand and follow the Alexander Technique instructions.
- Their age will be ranged from 20-35 years old.
- Their BMI will be less than 30 kg/m2 .
- Their pain level is ≥ 4 on numeric pain rating scale.
- They have mild disability on Neck Disability Index Questionnaire (NDI).
- They have limited cervical range of motion (the normal flexion range of motion is 80° to 90°, extension 70°, lateral flexion 20° to 45°, and rotation up to 90°).
Exclusion criteria
- Neck pain as consequence of disc protrusion or prolapse, whiplash, congenital deformity of the spine, spinal stenosis, neoplasm, inflammatory rheumatic disease, neurological disorder, and psychosis.
- Women who had invasive treatment of the spine within the previous three weeks, or spinal surgery or presence of neck history of trauma.
- Presence of contraindications to spinal movement, such as fracture or dislocation.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Egypt · 1 center
- Faculty of physical therapy, Cairo University — Giza
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06646367 · P.T.REC/012/005325