Effect of Scapula Focused Interventions on Pain and Disability in Neck Pain with Mobility Deficits- Protocol for a Single Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Neck pain with mobility deficits is a common non-specific disorder often observed in younger individuals. The abnormal position of the scapula has also been identified as a risk factor in individuals with neck pain and mobility deficits. Though literature exists regarding the effects of scapular strengthening exercises, there is a lack of studies that have examined the effects of scapular strengthening exercises in individuals with neck pain and mobility deficits. This randomized controlled trial aims to examine the effects of scapula-focused exercises on pain and disability in individuals with neck pain and mobility deficits.

Methods: A single-blind (assessor-blinded) randomized controlled trial will be performed. One hundred and eight participants will be recruited and randomly assigned into two groups. The intervention group will receive scapula-focused exercises, and the control group will receive neckspecific exercises. Both groups will receive supervised sessions 3 days per week for 6 weeks and unsupervised sessions for the remaining weeks. Disability, pain, range of motion, pain pressure threshold, muscle strength, EMG activity, and sensory-motor functions will be assessed at the baseline, the 6th week, and the 12th week.

Results: This study aims to provide the effectiveness of scapular-focused exercises and its effect on neck pain with mobility deficits.

Conclusion: Analyzing the results can provide insight into how effective scapular-focused exercises are when compared to neck exercises.