Abstract

Introduction: chronic neck pain is a very common problem in today's society. The excessive use of electronic devices is an important risk factor for the beginning of symptomatic visual stress and musculoskeletal disorders. Objective: to determine the effectiveness of a cervical proprioceptive training program that involves the intervention of the visual system in patients with chronic neck pain. Material and method: clinical trial conducted with 30 subjects (15 in each group) suffering from chronic neck pain. Variables: pain (evaluated with the Visual Analogue Scale, the McGill questionnaire and the algometer) and cervical articular range. The control group receives the treatment protocol of combined physiotherapy and the experimental group is treated with the same protocol and also a program of oculo-cervical reeducation. Results: in all the variables we found that there were differences betweenthe pretest and posttest values in both groups, that is, the state of the subjects improved in the two treatment groups (p < 0.05). On the other hand, only significant differences were found between the two groups in the algometry in the right upper trapezius, showing better results in the experimental group (mean = -0.55 SD = 0.13) than the control (mean = -0.38 SD = 0.27) and also in the extension, right and left lateral flexion and left and right rotations. Conclusions: the proprioceptive training program is effective in reducing pain in the upper trapezius and increasing the range of cervical mobility. These exercises can be a complementary tool, since they involve both visual and vestibular systems improving cervical proprioception.