Effects of a therapeutic exercise program associated or not with electrical currents in patients with chronic neck pain

INTERVENTION: E02.760.169.063.500.387 Subjects will be submitted to 8 treatment sessions, two weekly sessions, for four weeks and lasting 50 minutes each session. The treatment programs will be applied by a physiotherapist with experience in clinical practice with patients with chronic pain. In addition, there will be training for six months prior to the start of the study to familiarize and standardize the proposed treatment programs. All groups will receive 45‐minute pain education session previously to the intervention program, addressing the pathophysiological mechanisms of chronic neck pain, strategies for coping with pain, and avoiding hypervigilance and deconstruction of beliefs and myths about chronic pain, imaging, alternative and surgical treatments. In this way, subjects will be randomized into three groups: 1) Therapeutic exercise groups + TENS placebo: this group will consist of 20 participants. Initially, the TENS placebo will be applied for 30 minutes by placing 4 carbon‐electrode electrodes measuring 4 x 4 cm in the cervical region with water‐based gel to reduce the impedance at the skin‐electrode interface. The equipment will be switched on, but the intensity increase (0 mA) will not be performed, only such procedure being simulated. After this, a program composed of specific therapeutic exercises for the cervical region will be applied, divided in 6 blocks, based on the previous studies. The exercises without load or with low load will be applied in the order described below, being assured the rest of 2 minutes between each block of exercise. Thus, the description of the exercises follows. Block 1: Patient seated and with cervical in the neutral position, will perform flexion, extension, inclinations and rotations movements of the cervical, without load and in the maximum possible range of movement. There will be 3 sets of 3 repetitions for each movement mentioned; Block 2: Patient positioned on supine, with slightly abducted shoulder, flexed elbow and han CONDITION: C10.597.617.576 Neck pain ; C10.597.617.576 PRIMARY OUTCOME: Reduction of functional disability identified through the application of Neck Disability Index. SECONDARY OUTCOME: Reduction of catastrophizing pain measured by means of the Catastrophic Thoughts on Pain Scale. Reduction of intensity of pain during movement measured by means of the Numerical Pain Scale. Reduction of intensity of pain during rest measured by means of the Numerical Pain Scale. Reduction of kinesiophobia measurement using the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Individuals of both genders; aged between 18 and 45 years; and with chronic cervicalgia (for more than 90 days).