Can spinal adjustments ease neck pain? new study investigates
NCT ID NCT03576846
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at how spinal manipulation and stretching affect heart rate and pain sensitivity in 131 adults with long-term neck pain. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either spinal manipulation plus stretching or stretching alone. The goal was to see if these treatments change heart rate variability and pain perception, and to develop a test that predicts who might benefit most.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- spinal manipulation and stretching exercises
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a better understanding of how spinal manipulation affects pain and heart rate in people with neck pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study focused on measuring changes, not a treatment trial. Results may not lead to new therapies or apply to all neck pain patients.
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
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131 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2019
- Finished
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May 2020
- 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: * minimum 18 years, * able to read and understand Swedish, * persistent or recurrent Neck Pain (duration of current episode more than 6 months and at least one previous episode of NP), * no chiropractic treatment during the previous 3 months. Exclusion Criteria: * conditions or medications that will affect the Heart Rate Variability measurements (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pregnancy, obesity, currently using pain-reducing medication, steroids or antidepressants), * all contraindications to manual treatment, (anything that could seriously aggravate the pain (such as inflammatory conditions) or signal cerebrovascular injuries (previous drop attacks or a recent episode of new headache or dizziness).
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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
-
Danvik Kiropraktik och Rehab
Stockholm, Sweden
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Karolinska Institutet
Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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