Massage guns vs. manual therapy: which eases shoulder pain better?
NCT ID NCT07756203
First seen Aug 10, 2026 · Last updated Aug 26, 2026 · Updated 5 times
Summary
This trial compares two hands-on therapies—percussion massage with a handheld device and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization—when added to standard physiotherapy for people with shoulder impingement syndrome. About 48 adults aged 40–60 with confirmed impingement will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: physiotherapy alone, physiotherapy plus percussion massage, or physiotherapy plus instrument-assisted therapy. Over four weeks, researchers will measure changes in shoulder joint position sense, range of motion, pain, disability, and quality of life to see if the added therapies improve outcomes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Percussion massage therapy using a handheld Hypervolt device, and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, each added to conventional physiotherapy
- What this could lead to
- If effective, these massage techniques could become standard add-ons to physiotherapy, helping people with shoulder impingement recover faster and with less pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial, so results may not apply broadly. The therapies are unlikely to cause serious harm but may offer only modest benefits over 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
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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 42 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2026
- Expected to finish
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Oct 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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40 to 60 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: * Men or women aged 40 to 60 years. * Diagnosis of subacromial impingement syndrome confirmed by clinical examination and -magnetic resonance imaging. * Positive Neer test. * Positive Hawkins-Kennedy test. * Positive painful arc test. * Shoulder symptoms persisting for at least one month. * Ability and willingness to participate in the assessment and intervention programme. * Provision of written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Previous surgery involving the affected upper extremity. * Inflammatory joint disease. * Shoulder osteoarthritis. * Rheumatic disease. * Malignant or benign tumour affecting the shoulder region or upper extremity. * Open wound or active infection in the shoulder region. * Inability to tolerate vibration-based therapy. * Inability to comply with the study protocol or intervention programme.
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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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Istanbul Medipol University
RECRUITINGIstanbul, Beykoz, 34815, Turkey (Türkiye)
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