Can exercise ease chronic pain in seniors? new study tests two approaches
NCT ID NCT06667830
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested two different exercise programs in 70 older adults (60+) with chronic muscle or joint pain. One program combined aerobic, balance, and isometric exercises; the other added nerve mobilization techniques. Participants exercised twice a week for 10 weeks. Researchers measured pain severity, physical function, and performance at the start, end of the program, and 3 months later to see which approach worked better.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- physical exercise program and neural mobilization techniques
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that simple, non-drug exercise programs effectively reduce pain and improve mobility in older adults.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with only 70 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Exercise programs require ongoing effort and may not work for all types of 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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70 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2024
- Finished
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Feb 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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60 years and older
- 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: * Community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or older * People with primary or secondary chronic musculoskeletal pain in any body site * People able to walk independently Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals undergoing surgery in the last 3 months * Patients with a self-reported diagnoses of infection diseases, dementia, tumor/cancer, stroke, uncontrolled diabetes, or at high risk of developing cardiovascular events * Those with physical limitations that make it impossible for them to carry out the intervention protocols independently (e.g., wheelchair user) * Patients who are receiving another physical therapy intervention to treat their pain.
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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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Department of Medical Sciences (University of Aveiro), Campus Universitário de Santiago, Agra do Crasto, Edifício 30
Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
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