Can targeted muscle techniques outperform standard therapy for piriformis pain?
NCT ID NCT07769203
First seen Aug 17, 2026 · Last updated Aug 18, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether two hands-on therapies—muscle energy technique and myofascial release—can improve pain, muscle strength, and activation in people with piriformis syndrome, a condition where a deep buttock muscle irritates the sciatic nerve. About 72 adults aged 18–65 with the condition will receive one of the techniques alongside conventional physical therapy for 8 weeks. Researchers will use objective tools like pressure sensors and electromyography to measure changes, aiming to identify which approach offers better relief.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Muscle Energy Technique and Myofascial Release Technique (manual therapy procedures)
- What this could lead to
- If one technique proves more effective, it could become a preferred non-drug treatment for piriformis syndrome, offering better pain relief and muscle function.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial, so results may not apply to everyone. Manual therapy effects can vary, and the study doesn't compare against a placebo, so benefits might be partly due to attention or expectation.
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 72 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 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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18 to 65 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.
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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: * Individuals diagnosed with piriformis syndrome * Presence of piriformis tenderness and sciatic symptoms * Aged between 18 and 65 years * Voluntary agreement to participate in the study * No history of lumbar, hip, knee, or ankle surgery within the last year * Ability to cooperate with the assessment and treatment procedures Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals younger than 18 years or older than 65 years * Presence of any musculoskeletal disorder affecting the lower extremity * Presence of neurological, cardiac, pulmonary, or orthopedic disorders preventing participation in exercise * Presence of neurological deficits (muscle strength loss) * History of radiotherapy to the lumbar or hip region * Absence from more than 20% of treatment sessions * Inability to comply with the study procedures (e.g., cognitive impairment, communication problems, severe psychiatric disorders) * Corticosteroid or PRP injection within the last 3 months * Participation in another physical therapy program within the last 3 months * Use of analgesic, anti-inflammatory, or muscle relaxant medications within the last 48-72 hours * Use of psychotropic medications that may affect muscle activation or nervous system responses (e.g., antidepressants, antipsychotics, sedatives)
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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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Hasan Kalyoncu University Faculty of Health Sciences
Gaziantep, Şehitkamil, 27000, Turkey (Türkiye)
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a fluid injection between muscle layers ease piriformis pain?
- Flat feet may be tied to a common cause of hip pain, study suggests
- Massage vs stretch: which eases piriformis pain better?
- Gentle muscle moves may ease piriformis pain – which works best?
- Laser or shockwave: which eases piriformis pain best?
- Which manual therapy eases piriformis pain better? small study pits stretch vs. release