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Occupational Health PhysiciansNCT01932307

Cervical Spine Health of Surgeons

A study testing Neck strengthening exercise program in people with Occupational Health Physicians and Neck Pain, run by University of British Columbia at 1 site in Canada.

Withdrawn

Withdrawn. The study stopped before anyone enrolled.

Official record
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Trial summary

There are currently no standardized programs addressing the well-documented neck pain in surgeons as a result of non-ergonomic positioning and the use of microsurgical equipment. The primary goal of this study is to introduce a brief neck strengthening exercise program to optimize surgeons' neck health. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Occupational Health Physicians, Neck Pain
What is being tested?
Neck strengthening exercise program
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
0 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
Dec 2015to Sep 2016
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages Any age
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • All first year general surgery residents at the University of British Columbia

Who cannot join

  • Previous serious neck injury (e.g. herniated disc)
  • Chest pain during physical exercise
  • Heart failure
  • Spinal Stenosis
  • Radicular nerve pain
  • Neurological condition causing chronic pain
  • Currently involved directly with the study group

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • Vancouver General Hospital

    Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 1M9

Other trials in Canada

About this study

There are currently no standardized programs addressing the well-documented neck pain in surgeons as a result of non-ergonomic positioning and the use of microsurgical equipment. The primary goal of this study is to introduce a brief neck strengthening exercise program to optimize surgeons' neck health. Instructional videos outlining the program along with surveys designed to assess attitude towards neck health will be distributed to first year general surgery residents at the University of British Columbia (UBC) through their required online curriculum webpage. A followup survey will be administered 10 weeks later to determine efficacy of the program through self-reported adherence and changes in attitude towards neck health.

Read the detailed description
  1. Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of a pre-operative 2-minute exercise program in reducing surgical residents self-reported neck pain.
  2. Hypothesis: A 10 week 2-minute neck strengthening exercise program completed between cases will reduce self-reported chronic neck pain caused by the use of surgical instruments and increase musculoskeletal health awareness in a group of residents.
  3. Justification: Surgical residents will be asked to complete a baseline survey regarding their self-rated neck pain. Then they will be introduced to a 2-minute neck strengthening exercise to be performed in between surgical cases. They will be asked to evaluate their neck pain again 10 weeks later. Neck pain experience before and after the introduction of neck exercises will be compared.
  4. Objectives:
  5. Define the problem through prevalence data in a sample of surgeons.
  6. Understand qualitatively and quantitatively measures of pain and quality on residents.
  7. Evaluate the efficacy of a pre-operative 2-minute exercise program.
  8. Disseminate our results and change the cultural norms of practice.
  9. Research Method: All first year general surgery residents at the University of British Columbia will be invited to participate. They will be asked to complete a survey regarding neck pain experience and introduced to a 2-minute neck muscle exercise video which they will be advised to follow for the next 10 weeks. Another follow-up survey will be sent at the end of 10 weeks.
  10. Statistical analysis:

Percentage of residents showing >50% improvement using an alpha of 0.05 statistical significance will be the primary outcome measure using the appropriate validated pain questionnaire. The attitude of the residents towards their neck health before the intervention will be compared to their attitudes at the completion of the study using a Pearson's chi squared test as a measure of significant difference. The self-reported effectiveness and adherence of the program at the completion of the study will be used as a measure of efficacy. All statistical analysis will be conducted in SAS 9.3.

Being tested
Neck strengthening exercise program
Keywords
Surgeon neck health
Medical subject headings
Neck Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Neck strengthening exercise programProcedure or surgery

    Study subjects will be introduced to a 2-minute neck strengthening exercise program and advised to follow for 10 weeks. The exercise program will include five different exercises that will strengthen the neck and stabilize the scapula. The exercises are: Chin retraction, cracking the egg, scapular clock, wall pushup and scapula retraction. Each will be completed as 3 isometric holds, 3 repetitions per set and 2 sets per exercise.

Study groups in NCT01932307
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
PGY1 General Surgery ResidentsExperimentalAll first year general surgery residents at the University of British Columbia
Receives: Procedure: Neck strengthening exercise program

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Neck pain and quality of life questionnaires

    The subjects will be asked to complete the Bournemouth Neck Disability index online once at the start of the study and again following a 10 week period where the subjects will be encouraged to follow our exercise routine in between surgical cases.

    Measured: 10 weeks

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Adherence and attitudes towards the exercise program

    A followup survey will be distributed 10 weeks following the exposure to the exercise program to determine self-reported adherence and attitudes to the program.

    Measured: 10 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted30 Aug 2013 (estimated)
  2. Study startDec 2015
  3. Primary completionJun 2016 (estimated)
  4. Study completionSep 2016 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
0 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01932307
Sponsor's protocol ID
H13-01151
Status last verified
Sep 2015
First submitted
27 Aug 2013
Last updated
1 Oct 2015
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Neck strengthening exercise program in people with Occupational Health Physicians and Neck Pain, run by University of British Columbia at 1 site in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Oct 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Neck pain and quality of life questionnaires (time frame: 10 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Oct 2015.

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