Gentle touch after Open-Heart surgery: can massage help you breathe easier?
NCT ID NCT07649330
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether myofascial release, a gentle hands-on therapy, can help people recover after heart surgery that splits the breastbone. Fifty adults with heart disease will receive either standard physical therapy or standard therapy plus seven daily sessions of myofascial release. Researchers will measure breathing strength, lung function, chest mobility, and pain to see if the added therapy makes 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
- myofascial release therapy
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to improve breathing and reduce pain after heart surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 50 participants. The therapy may not provide significant 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 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2026
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2027
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 years and older
- 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: * Age ≥ 18 years * Able to communicate verbally and follow instructions * Diagnosed by a physician with coronary artery disease, valvular disease, or aortic disease * Undergoing median sternotomy * Able to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of a cardiac pacemaker * Presence of a ventricular assist device (VAD) * Existing central nervous system disorders (e.g., hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury) * Cognitive impairment or inability to understand/follow instructions * Diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) * History of previous thoracic surgery * ICU stay longer than 14 days
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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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Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital
RECRUITINGKaohsiung City, Taiwan
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