Shocking therapy: electricity plus exercise eases stubborn neck pain

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Student must be enrolled in the last 2 years of Bachelor degree or in Master's degree in one of the healthcare - related programs at the European University of Lefke; * Age 18 - 29 years old; * Neck pain of minimum 4 or more on numerical rating scale (0 - 10); * Duration of symptoms 3 \< months \< 6, i.e. subacute symptoms with chronic/stable presentation; * Has 1 or more of the following symptoms: paresthesia of 1 or both upper extremities at the level below elbow; pain radiating from neck to shoulder/arm/below elbow; feeling of weakness in 1 or both of the upper extremities, stiffness and/or tenderness and/or hyperalgesia in the cervical and/or upper thoracic area; * Obtained "Cervical Radiculopathy" diagnosis from a physician, according to neurological examination findings: Positive cervical radiculopathy specific provocative tests (Spurling's Maneuver, Upper Limb Tension Test; Reduced Deep Tendon Reflexes of brachioradialis, biceps and triceps. Exclusion Criteria: * Any recent head/neck or shoulder trauma in the last 3 months; * Received physiotherapy for neck - related complaints in the last 3 months; * Received or currently receiving any kind of pharmacological intervention (muscle relaxants, NSAIDs, corticosteroids injections) in the last 3 months; * Presents with symptoms favoring shoulder pathology: pain localized at the shoulder that worsens at night, positive Drop Arm Test, pain referral patterns are localized in the upper arm above elbow; * Any recent surgeries to the neck, upper extremities within the last 6 months; * Any diagnosed neurologic or musculoskeletal conditions that could mimic cervical radiculopathy, i.e. peripheral neuropathies of different origin, thoracic outlet syndrome medial/lateral epicondylitis, myofascial pain syndrome, etc.; * Any cardiovascular (recent DVT, congestive heart failure), metabolic (diabetic polyneuropathy), neurologic (impaired consciousness, epilepsy), malignant conditions in which application of electrotherapy or exercises imposes risk on the patient; * Presence of pregnancy; * Active implants, e.g. cardiac pacemaker; * Any skin lesions in the cervical and/or scapular region, i.e. infections, open - wounds; * Refuses to participate in the study.