Can gentle touch ease stroke shoulder pain? tiny study tests osteopathic therapy
NCT ID NCT06098508
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study tested whether osteopathic manual treatment (OMT) — a gentle, hands-on therapy — is safe and feasible for stroke survivors with shoulder pain on their affected side. Only 3 adults who had a first-time stroke in the past 5 years took part. They received either OMT or a sham treatment weekly for about 6 weeks. The main goal was to see if such a study could be done, not to prove the treatment works.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Osteopathic manual treatment (hands-on therapy by a specially trained doctor)
- What this could lead to
- If this approach is safe and feasible, it could point toward a non-drug way to ease shoulder pain and improve arm function in stroke survivors.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 3 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The treatment may not reduce pain or improve function more than a sham procedure.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
UW Health University Ave Rehabilitation Clinic
Middleton, Wisconsin, 53562, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can tape and a shot ease Post-Stroke shoulder pain?
- Hands-On therapy tested for lung disease: could osteopathic techniques ease breathing?
- Vibrating away stroke pain: new therapy offers hope without drugs
- Shock wave or nerve block: which eases Post-Stroke shoulder pain better?
- Can ultrasound reveal why stroke survivors have shoulder pain?
- Shock therapy: can zapping nerves ease Post-Stroke shoulder pain?