30, October 2026

THE COMPARISON OF THE MCKENZIE EXERCISE AND STABILIZATION EXERCISE IN PATIENTS WITH NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

VOLUME-10; ISSUE-10; OCT-2026

Author(s): Ms. Kshitija Bappasaheb Solanke, Dr. Madhuri J. Vishwambhare, Dr. Anisha Johar

Authors Affiliations:

1.Oyster College of Physiotherapy, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, India

2.Oyster College of Physiotherapy, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, India

3.Oyster College of Physiotherapy, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, India

DOIs:10.2017/IJRCS/202610005     |     Paper ID: IJRCS202610005


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Abstract:    Background: Non-specific mechanical neck pain is associated with pain, restricted cervical mobility, and functional disability. McKenzie exercises and cervical stabilization exercises are commonly used physiotherapy approaches, but their comparative short-term effects require further evaluation. Objective: To compare the effectiveness of McKenzie exercises and stabilization exercises in patients aged 40–50 years with non-specific mechanical neck pain. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted among 42 participants, with 21 participants allocated to each group. Group A received McKenzie exercises and Group B received stabilization exercises for four weeks. Pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), disability using the Neck Disability Index (NDI), and cervical and shoulder mobility using a universal goniometer. Assessments were performed before and after the intervention. Results: The reported post-treatment VAS score was 2.67 ± 1.23 in Group A and 3.71 ± 0.96 in Group B (p = 0.003). NDI decreased from 33.38 ± 9.01 to 15.52 ± 7.79 in Group A and from 32.00 ± 9.99 to 29.29 ± 10.03 in Group B (reported p < 0.0001 for the post-treatment comparison). Group A also showed larger reported gains in cervical flexion, extension, rotation, and lateral flexion. Conclusion: Both exercise approaches were associated with improvement over four weeks; the reported results showed larger short-term changes with McKenzie exercises for pain, disability, and several cervical mobility measures. Larger randomized trials with longer follow-up are required to determine the durability and generalizability of these findings.

non-specific neck pain; McKenzie exercises; stabilization exercises; physiotherapy; VAS; Neck Disability Index; cervical range of motion

Ms. Kshitija Bappasaheb Solanke, Dr. Madhuri J. Vishwambhare, Dr. Anisha Johar (2026); THE COMPARISON OF THE MCKENZIE EXERCISE AND STABILIZATION EXERCISE IN PATIENTS WITH NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, International Journal of Research Culture Society,    ISSN(O): 2456-6683,  Volume – 10,   Issue –  10,  Available on – https://ijrcs.org/

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