Neck Education for Parents of Disabled Children

Plain-language summary

Objective: Parents of children with disabilities are at risk of musculoskeletal pain, postural disorders, and functional limitations due to caregiving responsibilities and physical demands. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a neck education program in parents of children with disabilities who have chronic neck pain. Method: This single-blind randomized controlled trial included 62 parents diagnosed with chronic neck pain (intervention group: n=30; control group: n=32). The intervention group received a neck education program, while the control group did not receive any training. The program was implemented over five consecutive days and consisted of five 60-minute sessions. Neck pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ); functional disability using the Neck Disability Index (NDI); spinal curvature using the Spinal Mouse device; posture using the Corbin Posture Assessment Scale (CPAS); physical activity level using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF); and quality of life using the SF-36. Assessments were conducted before and 12 weeks after the intervention. Data were analyzed using two-way mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: At baseline, no significant differences were found between groups for any parameter (p \> 0.05). After the intervention, the intervention group showed a significant improvement in NDI scores (p \< 0.001), whereas no significant changes were observed in other parameters (p \> 0.05). Conclusion: The neck education program was found to be effective in reducing functional disability among parents of children with disabilities who experience chronic neck pain. Keywords: Chronic neck pain; Functional disability; Neck education; Parents of children with disabilities

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