New Hands-On treatment may ease piriformis pain without drugs
NCT ID NCT05023005
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests a gentle, hands-on technique called Strain-Counterstrain for people with pain from the piriformis muscle. Thirty adults with a tender spot in that muscle will receive a passive leg maneuver held for 90 seconds. Researchers will measure changes in pain threshold and daily function to see if this non-invasive approach provides relief.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Strain-Counterstrain manual therapy
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to relieve piriformis pain and improve daily activities.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early study with only 30 participants. Results may not apply to everyone, and the treatment may not be more effective than placebo.
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 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- 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 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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: * 18 to 65 years of age * Tender point (or trigger point) in piriformis muscle determined by physical exam Exclusion criteria: * Less than 45 degrees of active hip flexion, less than 5 degrees of active hip internal rotation or less than 30 degrees of active hip external rotation, on side of affected piriformis * Unable to lay prone * Non-English speaker * Inability to attend 2 sessions within the same month * Active cancer * Pregnant * Diagnosis of lumbar radiculopathy * Greater than grade 1 lumbar spondylolisthesis * Presence of lumbar region Pars Defect * Receiving massage, acupuncture, chiropractic treatments, osteopathic treatments during study period.
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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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Loma Linda University Health
RECRUITINGLoma Linda, California, 92350, United States
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?
- Can a new form of ibuprofen beat standard pain relief for back pain?
- Can targeted muscle techniques outperform standard therapy for piriformis pain?
- Can tape or foam rolling unlock relief for chronic back pain?
- Flat feet may be tied to a common cause of hip pain, study suggests
- Massage vs stretch: which eases piriformis pain better?