Physical Exercise in Neck Pain and Emotional Well-Being in Caregiver Burnout

Abstract

Most of the family members of people with Cerebral Palsy (CP) are those who func-tion as informal caregivers. On certain occasions, their work affects their quality of life and their health, and can trigger lumbar and cervical pain. Studies carried out in several countries show that they are a highly vulnerable population, with poor coping strategies that favor their adaptive process. The present study aims to determine the effects of physical exercise on neck pain present in caregivers of people with CP. It is a quasi-experimental quantitative research, with a pretest-post-test design with a control group, with a non-probabilistic sample due to accessibility considering the characteristics of the participants for the study.

The research carried out the analysis of the functional effects on the cervical and emotional spine of the implementation of a physical exercise program in caregivers of people with CP. The intervention with a physical exercise program for 16 weeks in an experimental group of 100 informal CP caregivers for 19.83 ± 1.2 years improved caregiver burden, emotional health and neck pain. In contrast, the control group after 16 weeks worsened anxiety.

The results of the present study collaborate as a non-pharmaceutical treatment for anxiety and neck pain, being the practice of physical exercise for 16 weeks a good option to alleviate the symptoms of Caregiver Overload Syndrome.