Chronic Musculoskeletal PainNCT07449819
Neural Mobilization to Improve Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Older Adults
A study testing Active Neural Mobilization Exercises in people with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain, run by Aveiro University at 1 site in Portugal.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to discover whether performing active neural mobilization exercises works to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain in older adults. The main question it aims to answer is: Can an active neural mobilization program improve pain intensity and functional capacity? Participants will… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
- What is being tested?
- Active Neural Mobilization Exercises
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 4 participants
- Where
- 1 sitePortugal
- Study dates
- 10 Mar 2026to Sep 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 60 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or older
- People with chronic musculoskeletal pain
Who cannot join
- Individuals undergoing surgery in the last 3 months
- Individuals diagnosed with dementia, cancer, thrombosis, or central nervous system injury (e.g., stroke);
- Individuals who are receiving another physiotherapy intervention
- Individuals who do not understand the Portuguese language
- Individuals with mild cognitive impairment
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Portugal1 site
Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro (Portugal)
Aveiro, 3810-193
About this study
Official title: Neural Mobilization in the Treatment of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Older Adults: A Single-Case Experimental Design Study.
The goal of this clinical trial is to discover whether performing active neural mobilization exercises works to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain in older adults. The main question it aims to answer is:
Can an active neural mobilization program improve pain intensity and functional capacity?
Participants will:
- Perform active neural mobilization exercises for 8 weeks (twice a week), under the in-person supervision of a physiotherapist;
- Visit the clinic twice a week for 9 to 12 weeks for consultations, examinations, and symptom monitoring;
- Keep a diary of their symptoms and frequency of analgesic use.
- Conditions
- Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
- Being tested
- Active Neural Mobilization Exercises
- Keywords
- chronic musculoskeletal pain, older adults, physical therapy, neural mobilization
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Active Neural Mobilization ExercisesOther
Participants will actively perform neural mobilization exercises for the upper and lower limbs, as well as spinal structures.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Active Neural Mobilization Exercises | Experimental | Not described Receives: Other: Active Neural Mobilization Exercises |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Pain diary
Participants will be asked to complete a daily "pain diary," recording:
- Average pain intensity that day (numerical scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents "no pain" and 10 represents "the worst pain imaginable");
- Pain-related interference that day (numerical scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents "no interference" and 10 represents "maximum interference");
- Medication used for pain.
Measured: Every day (until the end of the study) - from week 1 to week 21
Secondary outcomes (13)
Pain distribution
A body chart to record the location and distribution of pain.
Measured: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Neuropathic pain components
painDETECT questionnaire - The instrument consists of 4 sections related to: (1) pain intensity in the last 4 weeks; (2) the pain pattern; (3) regions of pain; and (4) presence of neuropathic descriptors. The total score is obtained by adding the scores of the last 3 sections and can vary from 1 to 38. Scores ≤ 12 = the neuropathic mechanism is very unlikely to be present (predominance of the nociceptive mechanism); Scores ≥ 19 = there is a high probability of a predominant neuropathic mechanism; Scores > 12 and < 19 = the presence of a mixed component.
Measured: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Pain Catastrophizing
Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) - The instrument has 13 items subdivided into three different subscales: helplessness (items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 12); magnification (items 6, 7, and 13); and rumination (items 8, 9, 10, and 11). All subscales are evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale, from 0 (not at all) to 4 (all the time), where higher scores represent a greater level of catastrophizing.
Measured: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Kinesiophobia
Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia - The instrument comprises 13 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale, as follows: (1) strongly disagree; (2) somewhat disagree; (3) somewhat agree; (4) strongly agree. The higher the score, the greater the fear perceived during the execution of the movement.
Measured: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Signs and symptoms of hypersensitivity of the nervous system
Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) - It assesses common symptoms and facilitating factors for hypersensitivity of the nervous system in 25 items. The patient scores each response on a scale from 0 (never) to 4 (always). The final score is obtained by summing the scores of the individual items and can range from 0 to 100, where higher scores mean a worse outcome.
Measured: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Balance
Functional Reach Test
Measured: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Lower Limb Strength
Five Times Sit to Stand Test
Measured: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Grip Strength
Hand-held dynamometer
Measured: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Range of motion of wrist extension and tibiotarsal movements
Measured with a manual goniometer
Measured: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.
Excursion of the median and fibular nerves
Measured by ultrasound
Measured: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.
Pressure Pain Threshold measured in three different sites (thenar region of the hand; dorsum of foot; region of greatest pain)
Measured with an algometer
Measured: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.
Q-sense - Cold and Warm Perception Threshold (thenar region of the hand; dorsum of foot; region of greatest pain)
It will be assessed using a portable quantitative sensory testing device capable of assessing peripheral sensory nerve function using hot and cold thermal sensory thresholds (Q-sense, Medoc).
Measured: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.
Q-sense - Heat Pain Threshold (thenar region of the hand; dorsum of foot; region of greatest pain)
It will be assessed using a portable quantitative sensory testing device capable of assessing peripheral sensory nerve function (Q-sense, Medoc).
Measured: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Mar 2026
- Study start10 Mar 2026
- Primary completionSep 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionSep 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Chronic Musculoskeletal 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
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- The experimental methodology selected to address the objectives of this study was a single-case experimental design (SCED) with multiple baseline design (MBD). Participants will alternate between three sequential phases: Phase A - baseline (1 to 4 weeks), Phase B - experimental phase (8 weeks), and Phase A' - follow-up (9 to 12 weeks). Phase B will have the same duration for all participants, while Phases A and A' will have different durations for each participant.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 4 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Aveiro University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Frederico Mesquita Baptista, Aveiro University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07449819
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- SCED1
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 27 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 3 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Neural Mobilization in the Treatment of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Older Adults: A Single-Case Experimental Design Study.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07449819
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SCED1
- Conditions
- Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
- Keywords
- chronic musculoskeletal pain, older adults, physical therapy, neural mobilization
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 4 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Aveiro UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 10 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Sep 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 4 Mar 2026 (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.
The goal of this clinical trial is to discover whether performing active neural mobilization exercises works to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain in older adults. The main question it aims to answer is:
Can an active neural mobilization program improve pain intensity and functional capacity?
Participants will:
- Perform active neural mobilization exercises for 8 weeks (twice a week), under the in-person supervision of a physiotherapist;
- Visit the clinic twice a week for 9 to 12 weeks for consultations, examinations, and symptom monitoring;
- Keep a diary of their symptoms and frequency of analgesic use.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- The experimental methodology selected to address the objectives of this study was a single-case experimental design (SCED) with multiple baseline design (MBD). Participants will alternate between three sequential phases: Phase A - baseline (1 to 4 weeks), Phase B - experimental phase (8 weeks), and Phase A' - follow-up (9 to 12 weeks). Phase B will have the same duration for all participants, while Phases A and A' will have different durations for each participant.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Active Neural Mobilization Exercises | Experimental | Other: Active Neural Mobilization Exercises |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or older
- People with chronic musculoskeletal pain
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Individuals undergoing surgery in the last 3 months
- Individuals diagnosed with dementia, cancer, thrombosis, or central nervous system injury (e.g., stroke);
- Individuals who are receiving another physiotherapy intervention
- Individuals who do not understand the Portuguese language
- Individuals with mild cognitive impairment
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Active Neural Mobilization ExercisesParticipants will actively perform neural mobilization exercises for the upper and lower limbs, as well as spinal structures. | Other | Active Neural Mobilization Exercises |
Primary outcome
Pain diary
Time frame: Every day (until the end of the study) - from week 1 to week 21
Participants will be asked to complete a daily "pain diary," recording: * Average pain intensity that day (numerical scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents "no pain" and 10 represents "the worst pain imaginable"); * Pain-related interference that day (numerical scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents "no interference" and 10 represents "maximum interference"); * Medication used for pain.
13 secondary outcomes
Pain distribution
Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Neuropathic pain components
Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Pain Catastrophizing
Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Kinesiophobia
Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Signs and symptoms of hypersensitivity of the nervous system
Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Balance
Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Lower Limb Strength
Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Grip Strength
Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)
Range of motion of wrist extension and tibiotarsal movements
Time frame: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.
Excursion of the median and fibular nerves
Time frame: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.
Pressure Pain Threshold measured in three different sites (thenar region of the hand; dorsum of foot; region of greatest pain)
Time frame: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.
Q-sense - Cold and Warm Perception Threshold (thenar region of the hand; dorsum of foot; region of greatest pain)
Time frame: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.
Q-sense - Heat Pain Threshold (thenar region of the hand; dorsum of foot; region of greatest pain)
Time frame: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 3 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Active Neural Mobilization Exercises in people with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain, run by Aveiro University at 1 site in Portugal.
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 2 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Apr 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 Portugal. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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?
Pain diary (time frame: Every day (until the end of the study) - from week 1 to week 21). 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 3 Apr 2026.