COPENHAGEN, Denmark—Strength training exercises focusing on the neck and shoulder muscles can help relieve chronic neck pain among female workers with trapezius myalgia, according to a new study in the Jan. 15 issue of Arthritis Care & Research.1

"Supervised high-intensity dynamic strength training of the painful muscle three times a week for 20 minutes should be recommended in the treatment of trapezius myalgia," report the study authors who were led by Lars L. Andersen, MSc, of the National Research Centre for the Working Environment in Copenhagen.

"Supervised high-intensity dynamic strength training of the painful muscle 3 times a week for 20 minutes should be recommended in the treatment of trapezius myalgia."—Lars L. Andersen, MSc.
The researchers assigned 48 women with trapezius myalgia from seven workplaces characterized by monotonous jobs to either 10 weeks of localized strength training for the neck and shoulder muscles or to a general training program of bicycling or counseling (controls). Both exercise groups worked out for 20 minutes thrice weekly for 10 weeks. The strength training program consisted of five dumbbell exercises: shoulder abduction, shoulder elevation, reverse flies, 1-arm row, and upright row.  

Finding is of "major clinical importance"

The strength training—but not the general training—led to prolonged decreases in pain scores on the 100 mm visual analog scale (VAS). The patients in the general training group showed a decrease of 5 mm in their neck muscle pain immediately after exercise only. This decrease was considered to be of minor clinical relevance. By contrast, patients in the localized strength training group showed a decrease of 35 mm in pain over the prolonged training period. The pain relief lasted even after the training program ended. The pain decreased in linear fashion among the women in the strength training group with pain gradually decreasing as muscle strength increased. Participants assigned to the control group showed no improvement in pain.

 "Specific strength training locally of the neck and shoulder muscles is the most beneficial treatment in women with chronic neck muscle pain," the authors state. This finding is of "major clinical importance."

Reference

1. Andersen LL, Kjær M, Søgaard K, et al. Effect of two contrasting types of physical exercise on chronic neck muscle pain. Arthritis Care Res. 2008;59:84-91.