A Three-Arm Randomized Trial of Aerobic Training Versus High-Intensity Interval Training on Clinical and Functional Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain.

Both aerobic training and HIIT groups showed lower pain and disability levels compared to the control group after 8 weeks of training.

• 46 patients with chronic neck pain were randomized to AT (n=13), HIIT (n=15), and control groups
• Training consisted of 24 sessions over 8 weeks using an arm ergometer
• AT was performed at 70% of peak workload; HIIT was performed at 90% of peak workload
• Between-group differences revealed that both AT and HIIT groups exhibited lower pain and disability levels compared to the control group

Both AT and HIIT groups demonstrated higher craniovertebral angle (CVA), deep cervical flexor muscle endurance and activation, and cervical range of motion compared to the control group.

• Head posture was measured using the craniovertebral angle (CVA)
• Deep cervical flexor muscle activation was assessed via the Craniocervical Flexion Test
• Cervical range of motion (CROM) was measured across groups
• Between-group differences favored both exercise groups over control on all these functional outcomes

The HIIT group showed significantly greater improvement in Beck Depression Index (BDI) scores compared to both the AT group and the control group.

• Emotional state was evaluated using both the Beck Depression Index (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Index (BAI)
• HIIT group showed a significant improvement in BDI score compared to the AT group and control group
• This was a between-group significant difference favoring HIIT specifically for depression outcomes

The HIIT group showed a significant increase in BAI (Beck Anxiety Index) score compared to the AT group.

• BAI was used to measure anxiety as part of emotional state assessment
• HIIT group showed a significant increase in BAI score compared to the AT group
• No comparison with control group was noted as significant for BAI in the abstract

AT and HIIT were similarly effective on clinical outcomes of neck pain and functional disability when compared directly to each other.

• The study was a prospective, randomized-controlled, single-blinded three-arm trial
• No significant between-group differences were found between AT and HIIT for pain intensity, CROM, cervical proprioception, CVA, endurance, or disability
• The study duration was 8 weeks with 24 training sessions total
• Cervical proprioception was assessed via joint position error