Can exercise plus stress coping skills stop neck pain from becoming chronic?
NCT ID NCT07824557
First seen Sep 17, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Neck pain after a traffic accident or other injury often fades, but some people develop lasting pain and distress. Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark are testing whether a six-week program called StressModex, which combines physiotherapist-led exercise with stress inoculation training, can be delivered alongside usual care. The pilot trial enrolls 30 adults with recent neck pain, moderate disability, and signs of hyperarousal. Its main goal is to see whether a larger trial is feasible, including whether enough people can be recruited and retained.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- StressModex, a physiotherapist-delivered program combining exercise therapy with stress inoculation training
- What this could lead to
- If the approach proves workable, it could shape a larger trial testing whether early exercise plus stress coping skills prevents short-term neck pain from becoming long-lasting.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot with 30 people, and researchers designed it to test whether a bigger study is practical, not whether the treatment works. The results may not show any benefit, and the program requires time and commitment over six weeks.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥18 years * Post-traumatic neck pain with symptom duration of less than 6 months * Moderate neck-related disability, defined as Neck Disability Index (NDI) score ≥32% * Hyperarousal symptoms defined as a score of ≥3 on the hyperarousal subscale of the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) * Able to read, understand, and communicate in Danish Exclusion Criteria: * Known or suspected spinal pathology, including confirmed fracture or vertebral displacement related to the injury * Severe pre-existing pain condition judged to interfere with participation in the intervention, such as disc herniation, fractures, or recent major surgery * Known severe psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia spectrum disorder or bipolar disorder, if the condition is currently considered unstable, insufficiently treated, or likely to affect the participant's ability to provide informed consent or participate meaningfully in the study * Known active misuse of alcohol, illicit drugs, anxiolytic medication, or opioids * Progressive neurological or rheumatological disorder causing substantial functional limitations and expected to interfere with participation in the intervention or assessment of treatment effect * Severe traumatic brain injury
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Central and West Zealand Hospital
Slagelse, Denmark
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Hospital of Southern Jutland
Aabenraa, Denmark
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Specialized Hospital for Polio and Accident Victims
Rødovre Municipality, Denmark
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