Can a simple massage tool ease chest pain that mimics a heart attack?
NCT ID NCT07728357
First seen Jul 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 28, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Pseudo-angina is chest pain that feels like a heart attack but comes from muscle knots, not the heart. This trial tests whether two hands-on treatments—Graston Technique (using a stainless-steel tool to massage muscles) and local ischemic compression (sustained finger pressure on tender spots)—can reduce pain and improve shoulder function in people with pseudo-angina. About 36 adults with confirmed trigger points in their chest muscles will receive one of the two therapies, and researchers will measure changes in pain and disability.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Graston Technique (instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization) and local ischemic compression (sustained manual pressure)
- What this could lead to
- If one technique proves more effective, it could offer a simple, drug-free way to relieve chest pain in people with pseudo-angina.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 36 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Both techniques are generally safe but may cause temporary discomfort.
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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About 36 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jul 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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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25 to 50 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: * Participants which fulfill the Simon's Trigger Point Diagnostic Criteria * Referred by Cardiologist • Patients with Trigger Points in chest Muscles and left Pectoralis Major and Minor muscles. Exclusion Criteria: * Spinal Deformity • Gastric Problems • Any cardiac disease • Heart Burns • Panic Attacks • Pleurisy • Pulmonary Embolism • Pericarditis.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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The University of Faisalabad
Faisalābad, Punjab Province, 38000, Pakistan
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