Comparison of percutaneous neuromodulation and therapeutic exercise in patients with chronic non-specific neck pain: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

IntroductionNeck pain is highly prevalent worldwide with no reliable or approved therapies. Recently, percutaneous neuromodulation (PNM) has gained popularity as an alternative to conventional treatments for managing musculoskeletal disorders.ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the comparative effectiveness of PNM compared with therapeutic exercise in the management of patients with chronic non-specific neck pain (CNNP).Methods and analysisIn this randomised, controlled, single-blind study, 100 patients with CNNP will be allocated in a 1:1 ratio into two study groups: treatment with PNM and treatment with therapeutic exercise (specific neck exercises). A total of 18 structured exercise sessions will be administered three times per week for 6 weeks. Disability, pain intensity, fear of movement, quality of life, quality of sleep, catastrophising, cervical range of motion and pressure pain threshold will be recorded at 6 weeks (immediately post-treatment) and 8 weeks after initiation (or the end of treatment).Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was obtained from the provincial research ethics committee of Almeria (AP-0429-2023 C4-F2) in June 2024. The results of the study, including feasibility outcomes, will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at academic, clinical and healthcare conferences.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06695949.