Neck PainNCT06256016
Effectiveness of Massage of the Thoracic Region in Neck Pain
A study testing Neck pain massage and Neck and thoracic massage in people with Neck Pain, run by University of Alcala at 1 site in Spain.
Trial summary
Neck pain is a common disorder in industrialized countries. Manual therapy techniques have been commonly used in the treatment of this problem. Actually, there is no research work that has evaluated the work well of treatment with soft tissue techniques (massage) applied to the dorsal paravertebral muscle in the… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 70 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Neck Pain
- What is being tested?
- Neck pain massage and Neck and thoracic massage
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSpain
- Study dates
- 4 Apr 2024to 15 Feb 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 70 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Subjects with neck pain.
- Pain between 4 and 7 points according to a visual anological scale.
- Neck pain lasting more than three months
Who cannot join
- Subjects who have suffered a whiplash injury.
- Subjects with neck pain and upper extremity pain.
- Subjects with a diagnosis of herniated disc.
- Subjects with fibromyalgia.
- Subjects with any cancer process.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Spain1 site
Physioterapy and Pain center research
Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, 28805
About this study
Official title: Application of Massage to the Dorsal Paravertebral Muscles and Its Efficacy in the Treatment of Neck Pain
Neck pain is a common disorder in industrialized countries. Manual therapy techniques have been commonly used in the treatment of this problem. Actually, there is no research work that has evaluated the work well of treatment with soft tissue techniques (massage) applied to the dorsal paravertebral muscle in the management of neck pain. The goal of this study (clinical trial) is to compare the efficacy of a massage protocol performed on the dorsal region in subjects with mechanical neck pain.
The researchers will compare:
Read more
A group that will be treated with a local protocol of cervical manual therapy and therapeutic exercise along with the treatment(massage) of the thoracic region.
Another group that will be treated only with a local protocol of cervical manual therapy and therapeutic exercise.
It is to see if the inclusion of treatment of the thoracic region improves the local intervention in cervical region.
- Conditions
- Neck Pain
- Being tested
- Neck pain massage, Neck and thoracic massage
- Medical subject headings
- Neck Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Neck pain massageOther
Subjects in this group will be treated with a neck muscle massage protocol. First, pressure inhibition techniques will be applied to the affected muscles. Then deep stroke technique will be performed on each muscle.
In addition, effleurages technique will be applied along the thoracic paravertebral muscle.
Subjects will also perform an exercise protocol for neck pain.
Neck and thoracic massageOther
Subjects in this group will be treated with a neck muscle massage protocol. First, pressure inhibition techniques will be applied to the affected muscles. Then deep stroke technique will be performed on each muscle.
In addition, deep stroke technique will be applied along the thoracic paravertebral muscle.
Subjects will also perform an exercise protocol for neck pain.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Neck pain massage | Experimental | Subjects in this group will be treated with a neck muscle massage protocol. Receives: Other: Neck pain massage |
| Neck and thoracic massage | Experimental | Subjects in this group will be treated with a massage protocol of the neck muscles and the posterior thoracic region. Receives: Other: Neck and thoracic massage |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Neck pain
A Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) is one of the pain rating scales used for measure the intensity pain. The VAS is a straight horizontal line of fixed length, usually 100 mm.The ends are defined as the extreme limits of the parameter to be measured orientated from the left or "10" (worst pain) to the right (best pain) or "0".
Measured: Change from Baseline pain at 3 month
Secondary outcomes (4)
Neck disability index
This questionnaire has been designed to give us information as to how the neck pain are affecting the subject´s ability to manage in everyday life. The questionnaire has 10 items including pain, personal care, lifting, reading, headaches, concentration, work, driving, sleeping and recreation. It´s interpreted as a raw score, with a maximum score of 50 where "0" is not disability and 50 is the worst disability
Measured: Change from Baseline pain at 3 month
Pain catastrophizing
Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). The PCS is a 13-item instrumen that task participants to reflect on past painful experiences, and to indicate the degree to which they experienced each of 13 thoughts or feelings when experiencing pain, on 5-point scales with the end points (0) not at all and (4) all the time. The PCS total scores range from 0 - 52. 0 is the best result and 52 is the worst result.
Measured: Change from Baseline pain at 3 month
kinesiophobia
The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) describe patient circumstances characterised by an "excessive, irrational, and debilitating fear of physical movement and activity resulting from a feeling of vulnerability to painful injury or reinjury. The TSK is a 17 item assessment checklist.The 17 item TSK total scores range from 17 to 68 where the lowest 17 means no or negligible kinesiophobia, and the higher scores indicate an increasing degree of kinesiophobia.
Measured: Change from Baseline pain at 3 month
The Global Rating of Change (GRoC)
It's a scale that assesses whether the patient condition has gotten worse, better, or stayed the same and to quantify the magnitude of that change, typically following treatment.Subjects will make global ratings of changes regarding their level of well-being from their neck pain since the initial examination on a 15-point self-report scale (from -7 to 7), where -7 is the worst possible value and 7 is the best possible value.
Measured: Change from Baseline pain at 3 month
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Feb 2024
- Study start4 Apr 2024
- Primary completion15 Nov 2025
- Study completion15 Feb 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Neck PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Alcala
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Prof. Dr. Daniel Pecos Martín, University of Alcala
- Investigators
- Daniel Pecos-Martin, PhD, Principal investigator, Alcala University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06256016
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- CEI15/002
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 4 Feb 2024
- Last updated
- 1 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Application of Massage to the Dorsal Paravertebral Muscles and Its Efficacy in the Treatment of Neck Pain
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06256016
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CEI15/002
- Conditions
- Neck Pain
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of AlcalaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 4 Apr 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Nov 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Feb 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 13 Feb 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Neck pain is a common disorder in industrialized countries. Manual therapy techniques have been commonly used in the treatment of this problem. Actually, there is no research work that has evaluated the work well of treatment with soft tissue techniques (massage) applied to the dorsal paravertebral muscle in the management of neck pain. The goal of this study (clinical trial) is to compare the efficacy of a massage protocol performed on the dorsal region in subjects with mechanical neck pain.
The researchers will compare:
A group that will be treated with a local protocol of cervical manual therapy and therapeutic exercise along with the treatment(massage) of the thoracic region.
Another group that will be treated only with a local protocol of cervical manual therapy and therapeutic exercise.
It is to see if the inclusion of treatment of the thoracic region improves the local intervention in cervical region.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Neck pain massage | Experimental | Other: Neck pain massageSubjects in this group will be treated with a neck muscle massage protocol. |
| Neck and thoracic massage | Experimental | Other: Neck and thoracic massageSubjects in this group will be treated with a massage protocol of the neck muscles and the posterior thoracic region. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 70 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Subjects with neck pain.
- Pain between 4 and 7 points according to a visual anological scale.
- Neck pain lasting more than three months
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Subjects who have suffered a whiplash injury.
- Subjects with neck pain and upper extremity pain.
- Subjects with a diagnosis of herniated disc.
- Subjects with fibromyalgia.
- Subjects with any cancer process.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Neck pain massageSubjects in this group will be treated with a neck muscle massage protocol. First, pressure inhibition techniques will be applied to the affected muscles. Then deep stroke technique will be performed on each muscle. In addition, effleurages technique will be applied along the thoracic paravertebral muscle. Subjects will also perform an exercise protocol for neck pain. | Other | Neck pain massage |
| Neck and thoracic massageSubjects in this group will be treated with a neck muscle massage protocol. First, pressure inhibition techniques will be applied to the affected muscles. Then deep stroke technique will be performed on each muscle. In addition, deep stroke technique will be applied along the thoracic paravertebral muscle. Subjects will also perform an exercise protocol for neck pain. | Other | Neck and thoracic massage |
Primary outcome
Neck pain
Time frame: Change from Baseline pain at 3 month
A Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) is one of the pain rating scales used for measure the intensity pain. The VAS is a straight horizontal line of fixed length, usually 100 mm.The ends are defined as the extreme limits of the parameter to be measured orientated from the left or "10" (worst pain) to the right (best pain) or "0".
4 secondary outcomes
Neck disability index
Time frame: Change from Baseline pain at 3 month
Pain catastrophizing
Time frame: Change from Baseline pain at 3 month
kinesiophobia
Time frame: Change from Baseline pain at 3 month
The Global Rating of Change (GRoC)
Time frame: Change from Baseline pain at 3 month
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 May 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Daniel Pecos-Martin, PhD principal investigator
Alcala University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Neck pain massage and Neck and thoracic massage in people with Neck Pain, run by University of Alcala at 1 site in Spain.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Spain. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Neck pain (time frame: Change from Baseline pain at 3 month). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 May 2026.