Massage showdown: which technique eases back pain best?
NCT ID NCT06135142
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compared connective tissue massage and classical massage for chronic low back pain. Thirty adults were split into three groups: classical massage, connective tissue massage, or standard physical therapy. All treatments were given three times a week for four weeks. Researchers measured pain, mobility, function, and quality of life before and after treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- massage therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that specific massage techniques offer better pain relief and improved function for people with chronic low back pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with only 30 participants. Results may not apply to everyone, and the effects may be modest or not last long-term.
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
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30 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2023
- Finished
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Dec 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 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: * Age between 18 and 65, * Diagnosis of chronic non-specific low back pain, * Rest or activity pain score of 3 or higher on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Exclusion Criteria: * Undergoing surgical operation within the last 6 months or having prior spinal surgery, * Presence of spondyloarthropathy, spondylolisthesis, or lumbar stenosis, * Systemic inflammatory disease, * Usage of non-specific anti-inflammatory medication in the past 15 days * Pregnancy.
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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
-
Bayındır Devlet Hastanesi
Izmir, Bayındır, 35840, Turkey (Türkiye)
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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