Comparison to Other Studies
chronic WAD grades II, shoulder and lower-limb disorders, pain, neck disability, chronic WAD, neck pain
ADVERSE EVENTS, MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
The present findings confirm results from other studies showing that an internet-based program may be as good as face-to-face visits in health care [To our knowledge, no studies have investigated if assessment, diagnosis, and the progression of exercises over the internet with or without face-to-face visits can be preferable in chronic WAD grades II and III or in nonspecific neck pain. Four physiotherapy sessions were included in NSEIT during the 12-week intervention. In the first session, the physiotherapist conducted a clinical examination. Based on their examination, they customized an exercise program from a well-defined set of NSEs. The purpose was to justify the exercise program and to help the patient feel safe and motivated to perform the exercises. The other 3 sessions were aimed at answering potential questions regarding the digital information, introducing new exercises, making progress with the existing exercises, or adjusting them to a lower intensity level if needed.To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated exercise interventions or clinical examinations over the internet for individuals with neck pain, but they have been evaluated in other musculoskeletal disorders.Exercise interventions or clinical examinations over the internet have been evaluated for other musculoskeletal disorders. Although patients were satisfied with the assessment and diagnosis of shoulder and lower-limb disorders over the internet [The effects of NSEIT on neck disability, function, and pain were at least as beneficial as NSE immediately post intervention and at 15-month follow-up. No adverse events were assigned to NSEIT, indicating that an internet-delivered exercise program with a few physiotherapy sessions was safe in WAD grades II and III. This noninferiority study confirms and extends knowledge from our previous results [Evidence of optimal treatment for chronic WAD is scarce. Although exercise has the most convincing evidence in regard to neck pain, studies of exercise interventions in chronic WAD have shown disparate results [