Which manual therapy eases back pain best? a Head-to-Head test
NCT ID NCT07756021
First seen Aug 10, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This trial compares two hands-on treatments—active release therapy and positional release therapy—for people with chronic nonspecific low back pain lasting over three months. Thirty participants are randomly assigned to one of the two techniques, each combined with a hot pack, and receive sessions over two weeks. The study measures pain levels and flexibility in key leg and hip muscles to see which 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
- Manual therapy techniques: active release therapy and positional release therapy, both combined with a baseline hot pack treatment
- What this could lead to
- If one technique proves clearly better, it could point toward a preferred, drug-free therapy for chronic low back pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 30 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Manual therapy effects can vary by practitioner, and the study does not compare against a no-treatment group.
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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30 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2025
- Finished
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Jan 2026
- 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with Low Back Pain (for more than 3 months) with Mild and Moderate Intensity, Tenderness over Low Back, Buttocks and Hip Joint Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with Inflammatory Conditions (RA, Ankylosing Spondylosis) * Patients with previous history of surgery around Hip and Knee * Patients with Peripheral Vascular Disease
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Arif Memorial Teaching Hospital
Lahore, 54600, Pakistan
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