Telerehabilitation vs Clinic Rehab for Chronic Neck Pain

Chronic non-specific neck pain is a common musculoskeletal condition affecting a large proportion of the population worldwide. It is characterized by persistent neck pain lasting more than three months without a specific underlying pathology. Many patients experience ongoing symptoms such as pain, reduced range of motion, functional limitations, and psychological factors like kinesiophobia, which can negatively affect recovery and quality of life. Conventional physiotherapy, including supervised clinic-based rehabilitation, is widely used for the management of chronic non-specific neck pain. These programs typically involve exercise therapy and patient education; however, access to regular in-clinic treatment can be limited due to factors such as travel, cost, and time constraints. Telerehabilitation has emerged as an alternative approach that allows delivery of physiotherapy services through online platforms, improving accessibility and convenience for patients. In addition, pain neuroscience education (PNE) is an evidence-based strategy that helps patients understand pain mechanisms, reduce fear-avoidance behaviors, and improve treatment outcomes when combined with exercise therapy. Although both telerehabilitation and supervised clinic-based rehabilitation are effective, there is limited evidence directly comparing these two approaches when combined with standardized pain neuroscience education. Therefore, this randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of telerehabilitation with pain neuroscience education and supervised clinic-based rehabilitation with pain neuroscience education on pain intensity, functional disability, and kinesiophobia in individuals with chronic non-specific neck pain.