Osteopathic touch tested against placebo for back pain relief
NCT ID NCT02034864
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a standardized osteopathic manipulation treatment works better than a placebo (light touch) for people with sub-acute or chronic non-specific low back pain. 400 adults aged 18-65 received 6 sessions over 12 weeks. The main goal was to see if the real treatment improved daily function more than the placebo at 3 months.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- osteopathic manipulative treatment
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a standardized, non-drug option for managing low back pain and improving daily function.
- What could go wrong
- This is a completed trial comparing two manual therapies, so results may show no difference from placebo. The effect may be modest and not apply to all types of back pain.
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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400 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2014
- Finished
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Oct 2017
- 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.
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: * Patient consulting for subacute and chronic non-specific low * Male or female aged from 18 to 65 years (included) * Patient can speak and understand French * Patient giving his informed consent to participate in the study * Patient affiliated to or beneficiary of social insurance Exclusion Criteria: * Specific low-back pain caused by inflammatory, tumoral, infectious disease or a back traumatism in the 3 past months * History of back surgery and/or vertebral fracture in the previous 6 months * Presence of a motor impairment related to the reason for consultation * The patient is a student or a practitioner in manipulative therapies * Pregnancy * Inability to understand the process of the study * The patient is already included in another clinical study
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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CHU Cochin
Paris, 75014, France