New therapy for chronic neck pain shows promise in small trial
NCT ID NCT06063408
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 12, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study compared cognitive functional therapy (CFT) to conventional therapy for adults with chronic neck pain lasting over 3 months. Sixty participants were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments. CFT combines physical exercises with psychological strategies to help patients understand and manage their pain. The goal was to see if CFT reduces pain intensity and disability more than standard care.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Cognitive Functional Therapy (a behavioral approach that combines physical exercises with psychological strategies to help patients manage pain)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this therapy could offer a more effective, drug-free way to reduce chronic neck pain and improve daily function.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with only 60 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The therapy requires active participation and may not work for all types of neck pain.
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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60 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2024
- Finished
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Sep 2024
- 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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18 to 64 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: * Age 18-64 * Pain in neck area for more than 3 months * Pain in NPRS more than 20/100 * Independently mobile (with or without aids), to be capable of participating in a rehabilitation program twice a week Exclusion Criteria: * Serious psychological pathology * recently surgery on shoulder or neck area (\<6 months) * Pain relieving procedures such as injection based therapy (e.g epidurals) and day case procedures (e.g rhizotomy) in the last 3 months * Pregnancy * Rheumatologic/inflammatory disease (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis, lupus, scheuermann's disease) * Progressive neurological disease (e.g. multiple sclerosis (MS), parkinson's disease (PD), motor neuron disease (MND) * Unstable cardiac conditions * Red flag disorders like malignancy/cancer, acute traumas like fracture (\<6 months ago) or infection, spinal cord compression/cauda equina
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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
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European University of Cyprus
Nicosia, Engomi, 2404, Cyprus
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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