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Can massage tools beat Hands-On therapy for stubborn neck pain?

NCT ID NCT07694882

Symptom relief Sponsor: Eastern Mediterranean University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 10, 2026 · Last updated Jul 15, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This study tests whether adding manual (hands-on) or self-applied myofascial release (using balls and massage sticks) to standard care—heat, TENS, and exercise—improves pain and function in people with chronic non-specific neck pain. Participants aged 18 to 45 with neck pain lasting at least 3 months will be assigned to one of three groups for 6 weeks of treatment. The goal is to see if these release techniques offer extra relief beyond exercise alone.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
myofascial release (manual or self-applied with balls and massage stick)
What this could lead to
If effective, these techniques could offer a simple, low-cost addition to exercise therapy for reducing chronic neck pain and improving daily function.
What could go wrong
This is a small, single-center trial with no blinding, so results may not apply broadly. The added benefit of myofascial release over exercise alone may be small or absent.

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

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

About 84 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jul 2026

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

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.

Ages

18 to 45 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Neck pain persisting for at least 3 months and diagnosed as chronic non-specific neck pain by a specialist physician * Aged between 18 and 45 years * Perceived pain affecting daily living activities (VAS at least 3) * Presence of myofascial trigger points in the upper-quarter muscles Exclusion Criteria: * Specific serious cervical spine pathology (radiculopathy, myelopathy, severe nerve root compression, spondylosis, and similar) * History of rheumatologic, neurologic, or systemic disease (for example, acute inflammation, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, or cancer) * History of trauma, fracture, or surgery involving the neck, shoulder, or upper extremity * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Any diagnosed psychiatric disorder (for example, major depression or anxiety disorder) or regular use of psychopharmacological medication * Use of systemic analgesics, NSAIDs, or muscle relaxants within the last 7 days for pain control * Any physiotherapy, manual therapy, or injection treatment to the neck region within the last 3 months

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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.

Chronic neck pain Myofascial pain syndrome - neck Myofascial trigger points Non specific neck pain

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Eastern Mediterranean University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Healthy Living Center (SAYMER), Orthopedic Rehabilitation Unit

    RECRUITING

    Famagusta, Hatay, 99628, Cyprus

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