Massage on Pain Levels, Range of Motion, and Muscle Strength in Unilateral Lower Limb Amputees

September 24, 2018 updated by: Heather Appling, Loma Linda University

Effects of Myofascial Release Massage on Pain Levels, Range of Motion, and Muscle Strength in Unilateral Lower Limb Amputees

The purpose of this graduate research study is to explore the therapeutic benefits of Myofascial Release massage on lower limb amputees with pain levels, range of motion, and muscle strength.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

There are no other studies that address the effects of massage therapy as a treatment option for lower limb amputees suffering from lower back pain or the effects this has on muscle performance and/or range of motion. In addressing the physical, psychological, and social needs of a person living with limb loss, there should be a consideration for a multidisciplinary approach that could potentially include massage therapy as a fundamental standard of care. Therefore, the purpose of this graduate student research study is to test whether myofascial release massage can improve lower back pain levels in lower limb amputees and consequently improve quality of life and other measurable variables such as range of motion and muscle strength.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
7

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Loma Linda, California, United States, 92350
        • Loma Linda Universtiy

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Pain in the lower back region
  • Trans-tibial, trans-femoral, knee disarticulation, or Symes amputees
  • Unilateral lower limb amputation
  • Subject willing to receive massage once a week over a 4 week span
  • Subject must be willing to abstain from over-the-counter and prescription pain medication 24 hours before each treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Open wounds within the treatment area
  • Bilateral lower limb amputees
  • Pregnant subjects (self-reported)
  • Lymphedema
  • Amputation distal to ankle
  • Subjects who currently receive regular massage treatments
  • Subjects taking anticoagulant medication
  • Subjects with allergies to coconut oil

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: massage group
Subjects will complete the SF-36, ODI, demographics surveys and then will receive pre-treatment range of motion, muscle strength and visual analogue pain scale prior to massage. Then will have a 45-minute myofascial release massage. Then they will fill out the visual analogue pain scale again. (Approximately 90-minutes) The second and third visits: visual analogue scale prior to the treatment; 45-minute massage, by the same therapist who treated them during the initial visit, and will fill out a second visual analog pain scale following the treatment. (Approximately 60-minutes) The fourth visit: visual analogue pain scale and 45-minute massage; post-treatment SF-36, ODI surveys, visual analogue pain scale, post-treatment range of motion and muscle strength.
Other: massage
The techniques include myofascial release and manual active and passive stretching with the intention to lengthen overly contracted or shortened tissue, increase range of motion, and restore any malpositioning of structural landmarks as defined by its contralateral counterpart. By addressing the symptoms of the somatic dysfunction, you will in turn reduce the overall perceived pain in the body caused in these related tissues. The duration of each massage treatment session will be 45 minutes long and therapists will use a timer to ensure all subjects receive the same length of treatment. Patients will continue to receive treatment from the same therapist to maintain consistency of results.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Low Back Pain
Time Frame: Change in low back pain between baseline and study completion at the fourth week (Visit 4).
Subject's lower back pain data will be collected through the Owestry Disability Index (ODI). It is valid and reliable in a variety of settings . Patients select statements that are most applicable to their current situation in the following areas: intensity of pain, lifting, ability to care for oneself, ability to walk, ability to sit, sexual function (if applicable), ability to stand, social life, sleep quality, and ability to travel. The questionnaire will take less than 5 minutes. Questionnaire is given at the beginning of the study and then will be compared with the responses after the 4 week treatment.
Change in low back pain between baseline and study completion at the fourth week (Visit 4).
visual analog pain scale
Time Frame: Change in visual analog pain scale score between baseline and study completion at the fourth week (Visit 4).
A Visual Analog Scale, consisting of a 10 cm long horizontal line which represents various levels of pain with "No Pain" at one end and "Unbearable Pain" at the other will be given.
Change in visual analog pain scale score between baseline and study completion at the fourth week (Visit 4).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Range of Motion
Time Frame: Change in range of motion as measured by goniometer between baseline and study completion at the fourth week (Visit 4).
In order to determine whether subjects had any improvement in their range of motion (ROM) investigators will measure their hip and knee joint (if applicable). Investigators will use a standard 12 inch plastic goniometer to measure and record the angles at each joint. The specific goniometer was manufactured by Ever Ready First Aid Medical Supply Corp. in Brooklyn, NY. This tool can measure up to 360 degrees in 1 degree increments and has been calibrated according to the International Standards of Measurement.
Change in range of motion as measured by goniometer between baseline and study completion at the fourth week (Visit 4).
Muscle strength
Time Frame: Change in muscle strength score as measured by the MMT between baseline and study completion at the fourth week (Visit 4).
Regarding muscle strength, investigators will perform a Manual Muscle Test (MMT) according to the 9th edition of Daniels & Worthington's Muscle Testing. The specific techniques described in this text focus the MMT on joint movements rather than individual muscles (for example knee extension vs. rectus femoris). The most common procedure is called the break test, in which the limb is placed and held at the end of the available range (for one-joint muscles) or at mid-range (for two-joint muscles) and manual resistance is applied by the therapist in the direction of the line of pull of the muscle(s) being tested. A numerical and qualitative score is then assigned to the muscle(s) ranging from 5: Normal (N) to 0: No activity (0).
Change in muscle strength score as measured by the MMT between baseline and study completion at the fourth week (Visit 4).

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Loma Linda University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Heather Appling, MSOP, Loma Linda University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 29, 2018

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 16, 2018

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 16, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 13, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 2, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 3, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 25, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 24, 2018

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 5170458

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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