Acute Effects of Active and Passive Breaks in Office Workers
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: Active Break Exercises.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Office Workers. Basic parameters: 20 years — 55 years · All.
- 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
- Turkey (Türkiye)
- 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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Official title
Investigation of the Acute Effects of Active and Passive Break Applications on Range of Motion, Neck Functionality, Pain and Fatigue Levels in Office Workers
Overview
The purpose of this study is to investigate the acute effects of active and passive break applications during work hours on cervical and shoulder range of motion (ROM), neck functionality, pain intensity, and fatigue levels among office workers. Participants are randomly assigned to either an Active Break Group, performing structured exercises, or a Control Group with passive rest over a 5-day protocol.
Detailed description
Prolonged sitting and sustained static postures during computer use are significant occupational health hazards for office workers, frequently leading to cumulative mechanical loading, localized muscle fatigue, and functional impairments in the neck and shoulder regions. Continuous isometric muscle activity during desk work increases intramuscular pressure and reduces local circulation, which consequently decreases joint range of motion, restricts neck functionality, and elevates subjective fatigue levels. While traditional passive rest breaks (sitting quietly) are commonly utilized, they often fall short of mitigating these sedentary stress factors. In contrast, structured active rest breaks involving dynamic movement and stretching can trigger a "muscle pump" mechanism, enhance tissue oxygenation, lower viscoelastic stiffness, and systematically reduce fatigue and pain perceptions.
Although long-term exercise interventions are well-documented, clinical trials directly comparing the acute, immediate impacts of structured active breaks versus passive rest strategies on multi-dimensional outcomes remain limited. To address this methodological gap, this randomized controlled trial evaluates and compares the acute effects of active and passive break applications among office workers who work at a desk for at least 5 hours a day. Participants are randomly allocated into two parallel arms: the Active Break Group and the Control (Passive Break) Group. The intervention protocol spans a total of 5 working days, with both groups taking a 5-minute designated break every hour. The Active Break Group performs structured stretching and mobility exercises targeted at the cervical and shoulder regions under physiotherapist supervision, while the Control Group rests quietly at their workstations. Objective and subjective assessments are conducted at baseline and immediately following the 5-day protocol using cervical and shoulder range of motion (ROM) measurements via a goniometer, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain intensity, the Neck Disability Index (NDI) for neck functionality, and the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS-T) questionnaire to determine acute fatigue levels.
Interventions
- Behavioral Active Break Exercises
The active break intervention is performed for 5 minutes every hour during the workday for a total of 5 working days. Under the supervision of a physiotherapist, participants perform structured active rest breaks consisting of stretching and mobility exercises targeted at the cervical and shoulder regions. The protocol includes: cervical flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation stretches; upper trapezius stretching, pectoral stretching, posterior capsule stretching; shoulder shrugs, sho
Primary outcome measures
- Cervical Range of Motion [Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (at the end of 5 working days)]
Secondary outcome measures (4)
- Shoulder Range of Motion [Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (at the end of 5 working days)]
- Visual Analog Scale (VAS) [Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (at the end of 5 working days)]
- Neck Disability Index (NDI) [Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (at the end of 5 working days)]
- Checklist Individual Strength - Turkish Version (CIS-T) [Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (at the end of 5 working days)]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Being between 20 and 55 years of age
- Working at a desk while seated for at least 5 hours a day
- Not participating in high-intensity physical activity regularly
- Volunteering to participate in the study and providing informed consent
Exclusion criteria
- History of recent trauma or surgery directed at the cervical or thoracic regions
- Current state of pregnancy
- Diagnosis of diabetes or similar chronic systemic diseases
- Presence of any cognitive or physical limitation that could affect exercise performance or assessments
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
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Turkey (Türkiye) · 1 center
- Hafez Taplux Group — Istanbul
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07647302 · İAU-FTR-SSA-01