Türk Fizyoterapi ve Rehabilitasyon Dergisi · Published 2026-04-29 · DOI 10.21653/tjpr.2026.76486
Purpose: This study aimed to compare the effects of spinal mobilization and kinesthetic rehabilitation on pain, disability, kinesiophobia, balance, and motor imagery in individuals with chronic non-specific neck pain. Methods: Sixty volunteers with neck pain for at least three months were randomly assigned to the Spinal Mobilization Group (SMG), Kinesthetic Rehabilitation Group (KRG), or Control Group (CG). Assessments were performed at baseline and after the eight-week intervention using the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Neck Disability index, Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Single-Leg Stance test, and Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3. Results: After eight weeks, significant reductions in pain intensity were recorded in the SMG (p=0.045) and KRG (p=0.018). Functional disability and kinesiophobia scores significantly improved in both intervention groups compared to the CG (p<0.01). While balance and visual motor imagery improved similarly across intervention groups, the KRG demonstrated significantly superior gains in kinesthetic motor imagery compared to the SMG (p<0.05). Conclusion: While spinal mobilization is effective for pain and functional recovery, kinesthetic rehabilitation offers additional benefits in modulating neurocognitive processes, particularly by reducing kinesiophobia and enhancing kinesthetic motor representation.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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