SynthesisPloS one2024
The effects of exercise on neuromuscular function in people with chronic neck pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07375823 (Effects of Electrical Muscle Stimulation Applied Concurrently With Active Movement and Exercise Therapy in Cervical Radiculopathy), which is not on this map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effects of Electrical Muscle Stimulation Applied Concurrently With Active Movement and Exercise Therapy in Cervical Radiculopathy: A Randomized Trial
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Efficacy of stability exercise-based treatment strategies for non-specific neck pain: a network meta-analysis.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Pooled it
- Acute effects of aerobic versus combined aerobic and cervical-upper extremity resistance exercise on pressure pain threshold, pain perception, and fatigue in workers exposed to high ergonomic risk with chronic non-specific neck pain: a randomized controlled trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Trial
- Neurofunctional Changes Following Multimodal Rehabilitation Treatment in Patients with Cervical Spondylosis: An Exploratory Electrophysiological Study.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Electromyographic Differences in Hyoid and Superficial Muscle Activity During Dynamic Neck Movement in Individuals with Chronic Neck Pain.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Intelligent prediction of cervical instability based on MRI radiomics combined with clinical features.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- Optimizing women's health: pelvic floor considerations in sports and physical activity.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Article
- Correlation analysis between neck muscles and lifestyle habits in patients with cervical instability.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Article
- Concurrent validity of a novel digital dynamometerfor assessing performance on the Cranio-Cervical Flexion Test.Archives of physiotherapyArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDifferences in cervical neuromuscular function are commonly observed between people with and without chronic neck pain. Exercise may improve cervical neuromuscular function of people with neck pain although the evidence for this has not been systematically reviewed.
objectiveTo systematically review the existing evidence on the effect of exercises targeting the neck muscles on neuromuscular function in people with chronic non-specific neck pain.
methodsThis systematic review was conducted based on a registered protocol (CRD42021298831) with searches conducted on the following databases from inception to 21st October 2023: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, AMED, Google Scholar, Open Grey and Zetoc. Studies of interest were trials investigating neuromuscular adaptations to a program of exercise targeting the neck muscles (>2 weeks) in people with chronic non-specific neck pain. Two reviewers independently screened the studies and performed data extraction, risk of bias assessment, and rated the overall certainty of the evidence (GRADE).
resultsFourteen articles from 2110 citations were included. There is moderate certainty of evidence that the use of craniocervical flexion training (either in isolation or in combination with resistance training) can induce neural adaptations within the neck muscles. A meta-analysis showed a reduction in sternocleidomastoid muscle activity after neck exercise interventions compared to control interventions.
conclusionThe articles included in this systematic review confirmed that exercise can result in neuromuscular adaptations within neck muscles, as measured by electromyography. Specificity of training was seen to be relevant for the type of neuromuscular adaptations induced.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.