Virtual Reality and Mental Practice Combined With Physical Therapy for Neck Pain

This trial is testing whether combining three approaches—virtual reality, mental imagery (imagining yourself doing movements), and routine physical therapy—works better than using them separately for treating neck pain. The study will compare three groups: one receiving all three treatments together, one receiving virtual reality with physical therapy, and one receiving mental imagery with physical therapy. Researchers want to see which combination helps reduce pain and fear of movement the most.

Neck pain is very common and can last for months or years, causing people to avoid normal activities and feel anxious or depressed. While virtual reality and mental imagery have shown promise individually, researchers want to know if using them together alongside regular physical therapy might help patients recover better than traditional treatment alone.