Effect of Thai Yoga Exercise for Reducing Pain and Improve Functional Disability in Patients with Text Neck Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Text neck syndrome (TNS) is prevalent among mobile users, and exercise is a simple, non-invasive approach, for treating chronic neck pain. Research on Thai yoga (TY) exercise to relieve or reduce neck and shoulder pain in people with TNS is still limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of TY exercise on health, physical function and quality of life in patients with TNS. A randomized clinical trial was conducted from April to July 2023 (TCTR20230920002, 10/2023). Seventy-eight volunteers with TNS participated in the study, performing TY exercises, while continuing their routine daily life (CON) for 6 weeks, with week 8 as a follow-up appointment. Clinical evaluation was conducted using a numerical pain-rating scale, functional disability scored by the neck disability index questionnaire (NDI), range of motion (ROM) and cervical vertebral angle, rounded shoulder angle by goniometry, and health-related quality of life (QoL) assessed by the 36-Item Short Form Survey. The results of the numerical pain-rating scale for TY group in the follow-up (6.71±0.52 weeks) were significantly different (p-value < 0.001) from the baseline (4.18±0.95) while the CON group showed no change. The NDI also decreased from the baseline (5.03±1.38) in the TY group, while the CON group remained at 12.03±1.98. The data of craniovertebral angle of TY group show an increase from baseline (62.44±2.32) while CON group was 39.37±4.73. The results showed that the rounded shoulder angle of TY group decreased to the normal range. The TY group shows an increased degree from baseline. The results for the TY group demonstrated a significant increase in QoL. These findings suggest that TY exercise is effective for relieving TNS when compared with the CON group. These positive outcomes provide strong support for the use of TY as an effective intervention for treating TNS symptoms.