Does a simple back massage alter brain waves? a trial puts it to the test
NCT ID NCT07728617
First seen Jul 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 30, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This trial investigates whether a 10-minute myofascial release technique applied to the lower back can produce measurable changes in brain activity compared to a light touch sham. Healthy adults aged 18-25 will be randomly assigned to receive either the active technique or a placebo-like touch. Brain waves and heart rate variability are recorded before, shortly after, and 30 minutes after the session to see if the hands-on therapy triggers distinct cortical responses.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- a manual myofascial release technique applied to the lower back
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could reveal how manual therapies affect the brain, potentially guiding future treatments for pain or movement disorders.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study in healthy volunteers, so results may not apply to people with pain or other conditions. The sham touch may also produce similar brain changes.
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 124 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
-
Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
-
Aug 2028
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 to 25 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * Age 18-25 years * Self-reported healthy status * Literate in Turkish Exclusion Criteria: * Active epilepsy or seizure history * Diagnosed psychiatric disorder * Neurological disorder * Cardiac arrhythmia, pacemaker, or heart disease * Active use of psychotropic, beta-blocker, anticholinergic, or antihistaminic medication * Recreational substance use within the past month * Pregnancy * Active scalp lesion or dermatological pathology * Active chronic low back pain * History of lumbar disc herniation * History of lumbar/thoracic spine surgery * Active skin lesion on the back
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Healty volunteers are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
Amasya University
Amasya, 05100, Turkey (Türkiye)
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.