Massage for Neck Pain
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Age: 18 - 65
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: University of Florida
Must not be taking: Blood thinners
Disqualifiers: Diabetes, Neck surgery, Pregnancy, others
No Placebo Group
Approved in 3 Jurisdictions
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?This study is interested in whether baseline measures of pain sensitivity i.e. the amount of pressure required to feel pain predicts pain relief following a pain inducing massage AND whether pain relief following a pain inducing massage is different than a pain free massage or placing your hand in a cold water bath. Participants with neck pain will be randomly assigned to receive a pain inducing massage, pain free massage, or to place their hand in a cold water bath.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications, but you cannot participate if you are currently using blood thinning medication.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment for neck pain?
Research shows that therapeutic massage can be more beneficial than self-care for chronic neck pain, and it helps improve the range of motion and muscle relaxation. Additionally, massage has been shown to be effective in reducing neck pain and improving quality of life in various studies.
12345Is massage therapy generally safe for neck pain?
Massage therapy is generally considered safe, but there are some risks, especially with spinal manipulation, which can lead to serious issues like disc herniation and spinal cord injury. However, these adverse events are rare.
26789How does massage treatment for neck pain differ from other treatments?
Massage for neck pain is unique because it involves hands-on manipulation of muscles to relieve pain and improve relaxation, unlike other treatments that may rely on medication or physical devices. It is a popular complementary therapy, but its effectiveness can vary based on the frequency and duration of sessions, which are still being studied to determine the optimal 'dose' for best results.
12101112Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for individuals aged 18 to 60 who have been experiencing neck pain for at least three months, with a pain intensity of at least 4 out of 10 in the last day. It's not suitable for those with arm pain or other conditions that might affect their response to massage.Inclusion Criteria
I am between 18 and 60 years old.
I have had neck pain for 3 months or more.
I am currently experiencing neck pain, with or without arm pain.
+1 more
Exclusion Criteria
I have had a whiplash injury in the past.
Pregnancy
I have a blood clotting disorder like hemophilia.
+7 more
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Intervention
Participants are randomly assigned to receive a pain inducing massage, pain free massage, or place their hand in a cold water bath
1 day
1 visit (in-person)
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for pain relief and sensitivity immediately following the intervention
Immediate
Participant Groups
The study aims to see if how much pressure causes someone pain can predict relief from a painful massage and compares this relief to that from a non-painful massage or placing one's hand in cold water. Participants are randomly assigned to one of these three interventions.
3Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Pain Inducing MassageExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Participants will receive 60 seconds of manual pressure applied to one point in their neck followed by 30 seconds of complete pressure release 4 times for a total contact time of 240 seconds. Pressure will be applied such that the participant rates the pain = 5/10 on an 11-point numeric pain rating scale with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the most severe pain imaginable.
Group II: Cold Water BathActive Control1 Intervention
Participants will place their non-dominant hand into water cooled by a refrigeration unit (NESLAB RTE 7 Digital One, Thermo Scientific Co., Massachusetts, USA) that circulates water continuously to maintain a constant temperature of 6 degrees Celsius (males) or 8 degrees Celsius (females). The participant will place his or her hand in the cooled water for 60 seconds followed by a 30 second break in which the participant will remove his or her hand from the water. This will occur 4 times for a total immersion time of 240 seconds.
Group III: Pain Free MassageActive Control1 Intervention
Participants will receive 60 seconds of manual pressure applied to one point in their neck followed by 30 seconds of complete pressure release 4 times for a total contact time of 240 seconds. Pressure will be applied such that the participant rates the pain = 0/10 on an 11-point numeric pain rating scale with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the most severe pain imaginable.
Massage is already approved in United States, European Union, Canada for the following indications:
🇺🇸 Approved in United States as Massage Therapy for:
- Chronic neck pain
- Muscle soreness
- Stress relief
🇪🇺 Approved in European Union as Massage Therapy for:
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Musculoskeletal disorders
🇨🇦 Approved in Canada as Massage Therapy for:
- Chronic pain management
- Muscle relaxation
- Wellness
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
University of FloridaGainesville, FL
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of FloridaLead Sponsor
References
Randomized trial of therapeutic massage for chronic neck pain. [2022]Little is known about the effectiveness of therapeutic massage, one of the most popular complementary medical treatments for neck pain. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate whether therapeutic massage is more beneficial than a self-care book for patients with chronic neck pain.
Short term effects of classic massage compared to connective tissue massage on pressure pain threshold and muscle relaxation response in women with chronic neck pain: a preliminary study. [2014]The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term effects of classic massage (CM) and connective tissue massage (CTM) on pressure pain threshold and muscle relaxation response in women with chronic neck pain.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of therapeutic massage in patients with neck pain. [2012]Neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal ailments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of therapeutic massage on the range of motion in patients with neck pain.
Experimental integrative muscular movement technique enhances cervical range of motion in patients with chronic neck pain: a pilot study. [2015]Neck pain presents a tremendous physical and financial burden. This study compared the efficacy of the complementary and alternative medical treatments of integrative muscular movement technique (IMMT) and Swedish massage on neck pain in women of occupation age, the largest demographic group with neck pain.
Therapist-Delivered Versus Care Ally-Assisted Massage for Veterans With Chronic Neck Pain: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. [2022]Chronic neck pain (CNP) is prevalent, and it reduces functional status and quality of life and is associated with deleterious psychological outcomes in affected individuals. Despite the desirability of massage and its demonstrated effectiveness in CNP treatment, multiple accessibility barriers exist. Caregiver-applied massage has demonstrated feasibility in various populations but has not been examined in Veterans with CNP or compared in parallel to therapist-delivered massage.
The effects of massage in patients with chronic tension headache. [2019]21 female patients suffering from chronic tension headache received 10 sessions of upper body massage consisting of deep tissue techniques in addition to softer techniques in the beginning. When found, trigger points were carefully and forcefully massaged. The range of cervical movements, surface ENMG on mm. frontalis and trapezius, visual analogue scale (VAS) and Finnish Pain Questionnaire (FPQ), and the incidence of neck pain during a two week period before and after the treatment, and at 3 and 6 months during the follow-up period together with Beck depression inventory were taken for evaluation and follow-up. The range of movement in all directions increased, and FPQ, VAS and the number of days with neck pain decreased significantly. There was a significant change in ENMG on the frontalis muscle whereas changes in trapezius remained insignificant. Beck inventory showed an improvement after the treatment. This study confirmed clinical and physiological effects of massage.
Adverse events associated with paediatric massage therapy: a systematic review. [2022]Massage therapy (MT) is frequently used in children. No study has systematically assessed its safety in children and adolescents. We systematically review adverse events (AEs) associated with paediatric MT.
Adverse events of massage therapy in pain-related conditions: a systematic review. [2022]Pain-related massage, important in traditional Eastern medicine, is increasingly used in the Western world. So the widening acceptance demands continual safety assessment. This review is an evaluation of the frequency and severity of adverse events (AEs) reported mainly for pain-related massage between 2003 and 2013. Relevant all-languages reports in 6 databases were identified and assessed by two coauthors. During the 11-year period, 40 reports of 138 AEs were associated with massage. Author, year of publication, country of occurrence, participant related (age, sex) or number of patients affected, the details of manual therapy, and clinician type were extracted. Disc herniation, soft tissue trauma, neurologic compromise, spinal cord injury, dissection of the vertebral arteries, and others were the main complications of massage. Spinal manipulation in massage has repeatedly been associated with serious AEs especially. Clearly, massage therapies are not totally devoid of risks. But the incidence of such events is low.
Cervical cord injury after massage. [2016]We present the case of a 47-yr-old gentleman with cervical cord injury after he received massage in the neck area. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine showed a herniation of the nucleus pulposus and compressive myelopathy. The patient required surgical intervention and rehabilitation. Despite 6 mos of rehabilitation, residual hand dysfunction and minor ambulation problems persisted. Although massage has many benefits, this case reminds us that there is potential danger in performing neck massage.
Acute cervical radiculopathy after anterior scalene muscle massage: A case report. [2023]Deep tissue massage (DTM) is a form of therapeutic massage therapy for muscles and is often used to treat musculoskeletal pain. This was an uncommon case of acute cervical radiculopathy that occurred after DTM.
Western Massage Therapies in the Management of Neck Pain: A Systematic Review. [2023]The purpose of this review was to compare types of Western massage therapy (MT) to other therapies, placebo, and no-treatment controls in neck pain (NP) in randomized and nonrandomized clinical trials.
Dosing study of massage for chronic neck pain: protocol for the dose response evaluation and analysis of massage [DREAM] trial. [2021]Despite the growing popularity of massage, its effectiveness for treating neck pain remains unclear, largely because of the poor quality of research. A major deficiency of previous studies has been their use of low "doses" of massage that massage therapists consider inadequate. Unfortunately, the number of minutes per massage session, sessions per week, or weeks of treatment necessary for massage to have beneficial or optimal effects are not known. This study is designed to address these gaps in our knowledge by determining, for persons with chronic neck pain: 1) the optimal combination of number of treatments per week and length of individual treatment session, and 2) the optimal number of weeks of treatment.