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Massage vs. talk therapy: which changes your brain chemicals more?

NCT ID NCT06987786

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Duke University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study will compare how massage and talk therapy affect stress and bonding hormones (cortisol and oxytocin) in people with chronic neck or back pain. Twenty-five adults with pain lasting at least 3 months will try both treatments in random order. Researchers will measure hormone levels from saliva before and after each session to see if the patient-therapist relationship influences pain and mood.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
massage (soft tissue mobilization) and talk-based therapy
What this could lead to
If successful, this could help explain how the bond between patient and therapist affects pain relief, potentially improving non-drug treatments for chronic pain.
What could go wrong
This is a very small early study (25 people) looking at hormone levels, not a treatment itself. Results may not apply to everyone and may not lead to new therapies.

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

About 25 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Jun 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Nov 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

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 years and older

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria include: * Individuals with chronic spine pain (3 months or greater) (and); * who are 18 years of age and older (and) * who experience persistent pain of ≥3 on a 10-point scale for the majority of days during the previous 3-months (The study operationally defines chronic pain using the International Association of the Study of Pain (IASP) pragmatic criteria of pain lasting for 3 months or more that cannot be attributed to another diagnosis or condition). \- Exclusion Criteria include: * Participants with medical conditions that may influence hormone levels during the study (e.g., Cushing's Syndrome, Addison's Disease, etc.) (or), * Use of medications (e.g., steroids, antidepressants, or hormonal treatments) that could influence the results (or) * Previously diagnosed conditions or factors known to affect cortisol or oxytocin levels, such as chronic stress disorders, hormonal imbalances, or pregnancy. (After obtaining consent and prior to treatment), the study will screen for potential massage contraindications or other clinical safety considerations and will exclude if: * participants have infection, skin lesions, (or) * Fractures in the region of the massage

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Low Back Pain Neck Pain vertebral column disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Low back pain Neck pain SPINE

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. 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

  • CORE 2200 West Main Street

    Durham, North Carolina, 27705, United States

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