Massage your back to ease your neck? new study tests the idea
NCT ID NCT06256016
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether adding massage to the upper back muscles helps people with chronic neck pain more than neck therapy alone. Sixty adults with neck pain lasting over three months were split into two groups: one received neck therapy plus back massage, the other only neck therapy. Researchers measured pain levels and daily function to see if the extra massage made a difference.
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 it works, this could point toward a more effective, drug-free way to manage chronic neck pain by including the upper back in treatment.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with only 60 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The benefit of adding massage may be small or no better than standard care.
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
-
60 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Apr 2024
- Finished
-
Feb 2026
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
18 to 70 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: * Subjects with neck pain. * Pain between 4 and 7 points according to a visual anological scale. * Neck pain lasting more than three months Exclusion Criteria: * Subjects who have suffered a whiplash injury. * Subjects with neck pain and upper extremity pain. * Subjects with a diagnosis of herniated disc. * Subjects with fibromyalgia. * Subjects with any cancer process.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Neck pain are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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
-
Physioterapy and Pain center research
Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, 28805, Spain
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a 13-Minute eye exercise routine ease screen strain?
- Can a Screen-Guided neck workout retrain muscles to ease chronic pain?
- Which neck therapy works better? a Head-to-Head test
- Can diaphragm exercises ease stubborn neck pain?
- Can deep breathing loosen the grip of neck pain?
- Does stretchy tape really soothe knotted neck muscles?