Exercise-induced hypoalgesia after aerobic versus neck-specific exercise in people with acute/subacute whiplash-associated disorders: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION: A disturbance in exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) has been observed in patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). Yet, no studies have examined whether EIH occurs in people with acute/subacute WAD. This study will determine whether EIH occurs immediately after and 24 hours after aerobic exercise (AE) and neck-specific exercise (NSE) in people with acute/subacute WAD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A randomised controlled trial has been designed and is reported in line with the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials. EIH will be assessed immediately after and 24 hours after AE, NSE and a control intervention (randomly allocated). As dependent variables of the study, we will measure pressure pain thresholds measured over the region of the spinous process of C2 and C5, the muscle belly of the tibialis anterior and over the three main peripheral nerve trunks, Neck Pain Intensity, Neck-Disability Index, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Tampa Scale Kinesiophobia-11, self-reported Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs Scale. ETHICS APPROVAL AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been granted by the Ethics Committee from University Rey Juan Carlos (Madrid, Spain; reference number 0707202116721). The results of this study will be disseminated through presentations at scientific conferences and publication in scientific journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: RBR-9tqr2jt, https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/observador/submissao/sumario/11551.