The effect of Swiss ball stabilisation exercise on deep and superficial cervical muscle and pain in patients with chronic neck pain

This study investigated the effect of Swiss Ball stabilisation exercise on deep and superficial cervical muscle and pain with chronic neck pain. Thirty subjects with chronic neck pain were randomly divided into the Swiss Ball Stabilisation Exercise Group (n=10, SBEG), Craniocervical Flexion Exercise Group (n=10, CFEG), and Conservative Therapy Group (n=10, CTG). All patients performed 40-50 minutes a day, thrice a week for 8 weeks. The CSA (Cross-Sectional Area) of neck muscles, longuscolli, longuscapitis, Anterior scalene and Upper trapezius, was measured using functional MRI and VAS and NDI obtained from the subjects was analyzed. After 8-weeks intervention, two groups showed the significant improvement in CSA of deep and superficial muscles; CSA change of SBEG was the most significant among groups compared with CFEG and CTG (P <.001). Swiss Ball stabilisation exercise is likely to widen the CSA of deep and superficial muscles in patient with chronic neck pain, and can be an efficacious therapeutic method that can decrease numerical value of VAS and NDI.