Rescue therapy was tramadol (50mg)

Rescue therapy was tramadol (50mg) taken
orally according to patient discretion in case of
intolerable pain, and the number of pills taken was
recorded by each patient. All subjects were asked
to refrain from performing exercises other than the
stretching exercise prescribed and to avoid the use
of pain relief therapy, including pain medication,
physical therapy, massage, or acupuncture.
The outcomes were assessed by one of the coauthors
(RK) who was unaware of the patient’s assigned
treatment condition. All participants were not blinded.
The primary outcome was the pain score, measured
using the visual analogue scale.15 The visual analogue
scale ranges from 0 to 10cm, and a higher score indicates
more severe pain. The secondary outcomes
were neck function and quality of life scores. The
neck function was assessed using the Northwick Park
Neck Pain Questionnaire, which measures neck pain
and consequent disabilities. It is composed of 10
questions, with scores ranging from 0 to 36, and were
then transformed into percentages.16 The higher percentage
represents the severe disability. The quality of
life was evaluated using Short Form-36,17 a questionnaire
for the evaluation of health and well-being status,
which is composed of two main dimensions
(physical and mental). All outcomes were evaluated
at baseline and at the end of the study