Effect of a Sequence of Specific Manual Therapy Techniques Targeting the Autonomic Nervous System in Healthy Adults

July 30, 2026 updated by: Pere Ramón Rodríguez Rubio, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

Effect of a Sequence of Specific Manual Therapy Techniques Targeting the Autonomic Nervous System in Healthy Adults: a Single-application Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial

The activity of the autonomic nervous system has been shown to influence the appearance of symptoms in some diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, or migraine, among others. In the bibliography we find different authors who, through intervention using manual therapy, have demonstrated its effects on the autonomic nervous system, especially on the increase in parasympathetic activity and reduction in sympathetic activity. A clinical trial is proposed to verify these effects.

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

The aim of the study is to analyse the effects of applying a specific sequence of manual therapy techniques focused on the regulation of the autonomic nervous system. This intervention sequence will be applied in a single intervention. As a result, an immediate increase in parasympathetic activity could occur, measured by different parameters of heart rate variability, heart rate and respiratory rate. If the results confirm the expected effects, this treatment sequence could be used as a therapeutic resource in patients with pathologies whose symptoms may be related to the deregulation of the autonomic nervous system, such as rheumatoid arthritis, migraine or fibromyalgia, among others.

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.
100

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Ismael Mohamed Mohamed
  • Phone Number: +34617692253
  • Email: imohame@uic.es

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Spain
    • Barcelona
      • Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain, 08195
        • Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Provision of informed consent
  • Aged between 18-65

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Regular consumtion of alcohol or illegal drugs
  • Consumption of medications whose effect acts on the autonomic nervous system (cholinergic agonists and antagonists, or adrenergic agonists and antagonists)
  • Diagnostic of disease that may affect the activity of the autonomic nervous system or the perception of pain (such as generalized anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue).
  • Pregnancy

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: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

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: Sequence of manual therapy techniques
Participants receive a manual therapy secuence of techniques
Procedure: Sequence of manual therapy techniques
Receive a sequence of manual therapy techniques composed by: suboccipital decompression technique, suboccipital release technique, fourth ventricle compression technique, vagus nerve neurodynamic technique
Placebo Comparator: Simulated manual therapy techniques
Participants receive a sequence of simulated manual therapy techniques
Procedure: Simulated manual therapy techniques
Receive a sequence of simulated manual therapy techniques composed by four maneuvers without effect on autonomic nervous system

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
Change in Heart Rate
Time Frame: At baseline and immediately post-intervention on Day 1
The investigators will examine the difference between Time 1 and Time 2 and between groups in beats per minute.
At baseline and immediately post-intervention on Day 1
Change in Root Mean Square of the Successive Differences Between Adjacent RR Intervals (RMSSD) in Heart Rate Variability Index
Time Frame: At baseline and immediately post-intervention on Day 1
The investigators will examine the difference between Time 1 and Time 2 and between groups in HRV measured by Root mean square of the successive differences between adjacent RR intervals (RMSSD) in heart rate variability index
At baseline and immediately post-intervention on Day 1

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
Change in High Frequency (HF) Band in Heart Rate Variability Index
Time Frame: At baseline and immediately post-intervention on Day 1
The investigators will examine the difference between Time 1 and Time 2 and between groups in HRV measured by high frequency (HF) power of heart rate variability derived from spectral analysis, reflecting parasympathetic nervous system activity, expressed in milliseconds squared (ms²), within the 0.15-0.40 Hz frequency band
At baseline and immediately post-intervention on Day 1
Change in Respiratory Rate
Time Frame: At baseline and immediately post-intervention on Day 1
The investigators will examine the difference between Time 1 and Time 2 and between groups in breaths per minute.
At baseline and immediately post-intervention on Day 1

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.
Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

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.
  • Study Director: César Fernández de las Peñas, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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.
May 23, 2024

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.
January 30, 2026

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.
February 13, 2026

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).
June 11, 2024

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.
June 26, 2024

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.
June 27, 2024

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.
August 21, 2026

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.
July 30, 2026

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.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • FIS-2024-01

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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