Table 1

Schedule of enrolment, interventions and assessments

	Baseline		Intervention		Follow-up
	Enrolment	Allocation	Week 4	Week 8	Week 12
Enrolment:：
Eligibility screen	√
Informed consent	√
Medical history *	√				√
Randomisation	√
Intervention †
Yijinjing			√	√
CFT			√	√
Assessments：
VAS		√	√	√	√
NDI		√	√	√	√
CROMCrom		√	√	√	√
Stiffness and elasticity(MyotonPro)		√	√	√	√
Muscle fatigue (sEMG) ‡		√		√
Pressure pain threshold(OE220)		√	√	√	√
Muscle strength(OE210) §
Others:
Medication records			√	√	√
Cointerventions			√	√	√
Adverse event			√	√	√

*Any updates to medical history will be recorded at follow-up.
†Instances of participants missing group training sessions will be documented. For those unable to attend in-person group training, the treatment staff will supervise their home practice via online video sessions.
‡The sEMG signals will be recorded using a six-channel Noraxon Ultium EMG system (Noraxon, USA). The electrode placement will be selected at six points on the muscle bellies of the splenius capitis, upper trapezius and middle trapezius muscles, bilaterally: 2 cm lateral to the C5/6 spinous process (splenius capitis), the midpoint between the C7 spinous process and acromion (upper trapezius) and the midpoint between T3 and the medial border of the scapula (middle trapezius).
§Muscle strength testing will include the measurement of cervical flexor and extensor strength.
CFT, cervical function training; CROM, cervical range of motion; NDI, neck disability index; sEMG, surface electromyography; VAS, visual analogue scale.