Effect of Deep Cervical Flexor Muscles Training Using Pressure Biofeedback on Pain and Disability of School Teachers with Neck Pain

[Purpose] The job of secondary school teachers involves a lot of head down posture asfrequent reading, assignment correction, computer use and writing on a board put them atrisk of developing occupational related neck pain. Available studies of neck painexperienced by teachers are limited. The purpose of this study was to determine whethertraining of deep cervical flexor muscles with pressure biofeedback has any significantadvantage over conventional training for pain and disability experienced by schoolteachers with neck pain. [Subjects] Thirty teachers aged 25–45 years with neck pain andpoor craniocervical flexion test participated in this study. [Methods] A pretest posttestexperimental group design was used in which experimental group has received training withpressure biofeedback and conventional exercises while control group received conventionalexercises only. Measurements of dependent variables were taken at baseline, and after 2and 4 weeks of training. Pain intensity was assessed using a numeric pain rating scale andfunctional disability was assessed using the neck disability index. [Results] The dataanalysis revealed that there was significant improvement in pain and disability in boththe groups and the results were better in the experimental group. [Conclusion] Addition ofpressure biofeedback for deep cervical flexor muscles training gave a better result thanconventional exercises alone. Feedback helps motor learning which is the set of processesassociated with practice or experience leading to permanent changes in ability torespond.Key words: Neck pain, Disability, Teachers