CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT05000268Updated Oct 28, 2022

Examination of The Effects of Telerehabilitation in Painful Healthcare Workers With and Without COVID-19 Infection

An interventional study of Progressive Myofascial Relaxation Exercise in COVID-19 Respiratory Infection, sponsored by Abant Izzet Baysal University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey. Open to participants aged 15 Years to 75 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-10-28.

Sponsored by Abant Izzet Baysal University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
38
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
15 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

In the literature, there are studies examining the effects of telerehabilitation on individuals who have had COVID-19, but studies examining the effects on healthcare workers who have experienced COVID-19 are insufficient. In this study, which is planned to be done, it is aimed to examine the effects of myofascial relaxation technique on pain and other symptoms through telerehabilitation. The aim of the study is to examine the effects of myofascial relaxation technique applied with the telerehabilitation method on pain level, anxiety, depression, sleep, fatigue and kinesiophobia in healthcare workers with and without COVID-19 infection with pain.

Read the detailed description

COVID-19 is a disease caused by severe acute coronavirus 2 infection and declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. In the period from March 11, when the first case was announced in Turkey, to the present day, the total number of cases has exceeded 2.3 million. COVID-19 is mainly transmitted by air droplets, aerosols and direct contact, and asymptomatic carriers are the main reason for rapid spread. While many professional groups are working at home during the pandemic process; the risk of contracting COVID-19 has increased, especially in healthcare workers working in high-risk departments of hospitals where COVID-19 patients are treated.

Along with symptoms such as fever, dry cough and shortness of breath, common musculoskeletal problems such as muscle pain, joint pain and fatigue, anxiety, depression and deterioration in sleep quality have been observed in COVID-19 patients. It can take weeks to get over the COVID-19 disease; however, some symptoms persist even after the infection has cleared. The continuation of physical, cognitive and psychological problems in COVID-19 patients recovering from the acute phase of the disease is called 'Post-COVID-19 Syndrome'. A good evaluation and treatment is required to prevent these symptoms in individuals with COVID-19.

Telerehabilitation refers to providing rehabilitation services using electronic communication technologies. In the current pandemic process, the use of telerehabilitation has increased all over the world to help patients without compromising the social distance rule. There is no need for protective equipment as there is no physical contact during telerehabilitation sessions. As a result, patient satisfaction and treatment efficiency are increased by enabling more effective and natural human interaction.

In the literature, there are studies examining the effects of telerehabilitation on individuals who have had COVID-19, but studies examining the effects on healthcare workers who have experienced COVID-19 are insufficient. In this study, which is planned to be done, it is aimed to examine the effects of myofascial relaxation technique on pain and other symptoms through telerehabilitation. The aim of the study is to examine the effects of myofascial relaxation technique applied with the telerehabilitation method on pain level, anxiety, depression, sleep, fatigue and kinesiophobia in healthcare workers with and without COVID-19 infection with pain.

02

Conditions studied

  • COVID-19 Respiratory Infection

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • telerehabilitation
  • pain
  • healthcare workers
  • progressive myofascial relaxation technique
03

In context

Infections

6,687 studies on the registry are indexed under Infections; 807 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 38 is below the median of 120 across 4,200 interventional studies indexed under Infections.

Browse Infections studies →

Lead sponsor

Abant Izzet Baysal University is the lead sponsor of 242 studies on the registry; 64 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
15 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Pain associated with COVID-19 infection and persistence of this condition after infection
  • Presence of non-COVID-19 related pain and no history of COVID-19 infection
  • Being a health worker and working actively
  • Volunteering

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Using psychiatric medication
  • Continuing history of active COVID-19 infection
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
38 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Painful Healthcare Workers with COVID-19

    Healthcare workers who have had COVID-19 infection in the past and are now in pain without COVID-19 infection

    Other: Progressive Myofascial Relaxation Exercise

  • Active comparator
    Painful Health Care Workers without COVID-19

    Healthcare workers with past and present pain without COVID-19 infection

    Other: Progressive Myofascial Relaxation Exercise

Interventions

  • OtherProgressive Myofascial Relaxation Exercise

    Participants will be given telerehabilitation methods, progressive myofascial relaxation techniques and simple posture correction exercises every other day for 2 weeks. The exercises will be performed as follows: * First, focus on creating tension in the body by contracting all your body muscles and feeling the body tension by holding this tight position for 3-5 seconds. Then relax and relax and focus on feeling the relaxed position of the muscles for 10-15 seconds. Then, the same contraction and relaxation movements will be applied in the feet, legs, hips, waist, chest, shoulders, arms and face areas, respectively. They will be asked to do these exercises in the morning and evening while lying in bed.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Visual Analog Scale

    The intensity of pain felt by individuals in their muscles and joints will be evaluated with a visual analog scale. The Visual Analog Scale is scored from 0 to 10. On this scale, "0" indicates no pain, "10" indicates unbearable severity.

    Time frame: 2 minutes

Secondary outcomes

  1. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

    Sleep quality will be assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. This questionnaire is a 19-item scale that assesses sleep quality and disturbance over the past month. A total score of less than 5 indicates good sleep quality. A total score greater than 5 indicates that sleep quality is impaired.

    Time frame: 5 minutes

  2. Fatigue Severity Scale

    Fatigue will be evaluated with the Fatigue Severity Scale. The score of the scale, which consists of a total of 9 questions, varies between 9 and 63, while a total score of 36 and above indicates fatigue.

    Time frame: 2 minutes

  3. Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia

    Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale will be used to assess fear of movement. Individuals get a total score between 17-68. High scores on the scale indicate high kinesiophobia.

    Time frame: 2 minutes

  4. The Patient Health Questionnaire-4

    Anxiety and depression will be assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-4. This questionnaire In the last 2 weeks, the total score in this questionnaire, which consists of 4 questions in total, is between 0-12, and as the scores increase, the psychological distress situation increases.

    Time frame: 2 minutes

  5. Modified Borg Dyspnoea Scale

    The perception of shortness of breath will be measured with the Modified Borg Dyspnoea Scale. Higher scores on this scale indicate increased dyspnea.

    Time frame: 2 minutes

  6. Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale

    The perception of shortness of breath during activities of daily living was evaluated using the Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale. Individuals are asked to choose the statement that best describes the severity of dyspnea among 5 statements scored between 0 and 4. High scores indicate an increased level of dyspnea.

    Time frame: 2 minutes

  7. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

    Anxiety and depression levels will be evaluated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. There are 14 questions in total in the scale and each question is scored between 0 and 3. While the questions with odd number of questions evaluate anxiety symptoms; Questions with an even number of questions evaluate the symptoms of depression. High scores indicate increased anxiety and depression. While the cut-off point for anxiety is 10; The cut-off point for depression is 7.

    Time frame: 2 minutes

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Ceyhun TOPCUOĞLU
    Merkez, Bolu, Turkey
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Oct 28, 2022, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05000268
Lead sponsor
Abant Izzet Baysal University
Responsible party
Ceyhun Topcuoğlu (Principal Investigator, Abant Izzet Baysal University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 11, 2021
Start date
Jan 16, 2022
Primary completion
May 30, 2022
Completion
Aug 30, 2022
Last update
Oct 28, 2022

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2022. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion