A gentle Hands-On approach may unlock lasting neck pain relief
NCT ID NCT07723001
First seen Jul 23, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial compares two manual therapy approaches for mechanical neck pain—a common condition where discomfort stems from joints, discs, or muscles without nerve issues. One group receives standard cervical spine mobilization plus physiotherapy, while the other adds thoracic spine mobilization. Over 8 weeks, researchers measure pain, disability, and quality of life to see if the combined approach offers greater relief.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Maitland mobilization of the cervical and thoracic spine
- What this could lead to
- If adding thoracic mobilization proves more effective, it could offer a simple, drug-free way to improve neck pain and daily function.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with 66 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Manual therapy effects can vary, and the benefit over standard care may be modest.
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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About 66 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2026
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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 40 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: Participants of both genders aged between 20 and 40 years with a clinical diagnosis of mechanical neck pain will be included in the study. Eligible participants must have a history of neck pain lasting more than 4 weeks (subacute to chronic) and demonstrate mild to moderate functional disability, defined by a Neck Disability Index (NDI) score between 10% and 50%. Exclusion Criteria: Participants will be excluded if they present with signs or symptoms of cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy, such as a positive Spurling's test accompanied by neurological deficits, dermatomal numbness, or myotome weakness. Individuals with a history of cervical spine fracture, dislocation, or spinal surgery, as well as those with inflammatory, infectious, or neoplastic spinal conditions, will also be excluded. Additional exclusion criteria include diagnosed osteoporosis or prolonged use of systemic corticosteroids, severe cervical spine instability or vertebrobasilar insufficiency, recent trauma to the cervical or thoracic spine within the past 6 months, presence of systemic neurological disorders, pregnancy, and current participation in another physiotherapy or clinical trial for neck pain.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Lahore University of Biological & Applied Sciences (UBAS)
RECRUITINGLahore, Punjab Province, 53400, Pakistan
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