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New imaging tools aim to take the guesswork out of muscle pain diagnosis

NCT ID NCT06060925

Diagnosis Sponsor: George Mason University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

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Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

Myofascial pain syndrome is common but hard to diagnose accurately. This completed study tested several imaging and electrical measurement tools—like ultrasound and muscle activity sensors—to find objective signs of the condition. Researchers studied 96 adults to see if these tools can reliably detect tissue changes linked to pain.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If successful, this could lead to more accurate, non-invasive diagnosis of myofascial pain and help match patients to the best treatments.
What could go wrong
This is an early, observational study focused on measurement, not treatment. The biomarkers may not prove reliable enough for clinical use.

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.

Participants

96 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jan 2023

Finished

Aug 2025

Lead sponsor

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.

Who is studied

Our chosen pain condition is chronic neck and shoulder pain. We will recruit two groups of subjects: Group 1: Chronic myofascial pain as determined by baseline clinical examination (using Travell and Simons criteria) and Group 2: pain free controls. We will focus on two standardized anatomical locations. This will enable imaging the medial upper trapezius and the infraspinatus muscles, which are common locations for MTrPs56as well as the levator scapulae.These three muscles have quite different morphology and fasciae46.The levator is a fusiform muscle with well-defined fascia that includes the musclewhile the trapezius has thinner fasciafrom where perimysiumseptae crossthe muscle belly.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show 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: * Age 18 and older Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome or chronic Lyme disease confirmed by physical exam * Diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy, neuropathy or neuriitis * History of head, neck, or shoulder girdle surgery * Atypical facial neuralgia * New medication or change in medication in past 6 months * Current throat or ear infection

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

myofascial pain syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Healthy Myofascial pain syndrome

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • George Mason University

    Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, United States

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