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Can releasing a deep back muscle ease pain and help you breathe better?

NCT ID NCT06928792

Symptom relief Sponsor: Riphah International University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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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 Results may not be published yet.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

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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Sep 10, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers test whether a muscle energy technique that releases the quadratus lumborum, a deep muscle in the lower back, improves breathing and reduces pain in people with chronic low back pain. The trial enrolls 36 adults aged 30 to 60 who have had mechanical low back pain for more than three months and show signs of a tight quadratus lumborum. Half receive the muscle release plus standard exercises, and half receive standard exercises alone. The team measures pain, lung function, chest expansion, fatigue, and spine flexibility over six months.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
muscle energy technique on the quadratus lumborum muscle, plus standard back pain exercises
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a low-cost, drug-free way to ease low back pain and improve breathing for people with chronic back pain.
What could go wrong
The trial is small, with 36 participants, and the muscle energy technique may not add clear benefit beyond standard exercises. Results may not apply to other back pain types or older adults.

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

36 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Apr 2025

Finished

Jan 2026

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

30 to 60 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: 1. Age 30-60 years. 2. Both Genders: Male and Female. 3. Diagnosed with mechanical low back pain persist at least \>3 months. 4. Self-evaluation of the breathing questionnaire, SEBQ \>11. 5. The patient exhibits decreased pulmonary functional volumes compared to the normal values, which include FEV, FVC,FEV₁/FVC 6. The Quadratus Lumborum length test in side-lying inches indicates QL shortening. 7. Patient with either unilateral or bilateral Quadratus lumborum tightness but intervention will be given on both sides. 8. Numeric Pain Rating \> 3/10. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Diagnosed chronic respiratory disease (e.g., asthma, COPD, bronchitis). 2. Diagnosed non-mechanical low back pain (e.g., ankylosing spondylitis, tumors). 3. Diagnosed lumbar spine surgery within the last 12 months. 4. Diagnosed significant neurological deficits. 5. Spinal injuries or other comorbidities. 6. Infection, trauma, pregnancy, fracture, or fall. 7. Unable to understand and follow the commands. 8. Unwillingness to comply with the follow-up schedule.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Chronic Pain Low Back Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Low back pain

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Rawal Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences

    Islamabad, Punjab Province, 45550, Pakistan

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