Search of the effectiveness of facial treatment in patients with chronic neck pain

This study is planned to investigate the efficiency of facial treatment in patients with chronic neck pain who don't have neurological deficit. 52 patients with chronic neck pain are included into the study. Patients are divided to two groups randomly as classical physiotherapy and fascial treatment. Each group had 26 people. Fascial treatment group was applied 5 sessions of facial mobilization treatment protocol in addition to the classic physiotherapy (hotpack, TENS and exercise). In this protocol of treatment, unwinding protocol, fascial cervical superficialis, two-dimensional application of both palms in the region of the fascial coli superficialis, fascial cervical media, fascial cervical profunda, fascial clavipectoralis, some techniques directed to the atlanto- occipital connection and ligamentum suspensorium relaxation are involved. All patients are evaluated before and after the treatment in terms of pain (visual pain scale- VPS), deep neck flexors muscle strength and endurance (Pressure Biofeedback), disability (Neck Pain and Deficiency Indicator), emotional state (Beck Depression Scale- BDS) and fear of motion (Tampa Kinesophobia Scale- TKS). When the groups are compared within themselves before and after the treatment, it is appointed that there was a decrease in pain and neck disability indicator in both groups (p<0.05) and fascial treatment group also showed an increase in deep neck muscle strength and endurance and improvement in emotional state (p<0.05). Compared to the pre-treatment, the comparison of the size of the impact showed that the improvements related to these measurements are more in facial treatment group. When the groups were compared, pain, deep neck flexors muscle strength and endurance, disability, emotional state, and fear of motion and clinical improvements are seen more in fascial treatment group. Study results showed that the classical physiotherapy program, which includes fascial mobilization techniques is more effective in treatment of cases that have chronical pain. It is believed that wide groups of samples and performing studies involving monitoring periods will increase the level of evidence of these results. Key Words: Cervical mobilization, neck pain, myofascial treatmentmassage, classical physiotherapy, fascial mobilization,