Can gentle bodywork unknot stubborn neck pain?
NCT ID NCT07785219
First seen Aug 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial asks whether Bowen therapy or myofascial release better eases tightness and pain in the upper neck muscles of people with non-specific neck pain. About 32 adults aged 20 to 35 will receive one of the two therapies, plus standard heat and electrical stimulation. Researchers will measure changes in pain, neck movement, and daily disability to see which approach helps more.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Bowen therapy or myofascial release technique, both given alongside standard care (TENS and moist heat)
- What this could lead to
- If one therapy proves better, it could point to a more effective hands-on treatment for easing neck pain and stiffness.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial, so results may not apply widely. Both therapies are gentle, but any manual treatment carries a small risk of temporary soreness.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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32 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Apr 2025
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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20 to 35 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patient aged between 20-35 years was included. Patients of both sexes(male-female) included . Patients with non-specific neck pain along with upper trapezius tightness which will be screened by upper trapezius length test. Patients with duration of neck pain from last one month included . According to Numeric Pain Rating Scale, those patients included whose pain intensity lie between moderate-severe range. Patients was be willing to give consent to participate. Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosed case of disc prolapse. Diagnosed spondylolisthesis case. Neck pain radiating into arms, upper extremity or any neurological impairment. Any diagnosed psychiatric condition. Any infection, wound or injury on neck or shoulder region. Any skin allergy or disease . History of recent trauma or surgery in neck/upper back area
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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OPD of Madinah Teaching Hospital, Aziz Fatimah Hospital and In motion physiotherapy rehab clinic, Faisalabad.
Faisalābad, Punjab Province, 38000, Pakistan
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