The Acute Effect of Passive Static Stretching and Self-Stretching in Non-Specific Neck Pain in Young Adult Population

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the acute effect of passive static stretching and self-stretching on the upper trapezius muscle in reducing current non-specific neck pain in the young population. Forty young adults (14 males, 26 females) aged 18 to 25 years, who were experiencing current non-specific neck pain, were allocated randomly into two groups (self-stretching vs. passive static stretching of the upper trapezius muscle. Pain, as evaluated with the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire and Visual Analogue Scale, was significantly lower after the intervention in both groups (p < 0.05). Thus, self-stretching could be considered as a low-cost, efficient intervention to acutely relieve neck pain.