MANUAL THERAPY ON PAIN, DISABILITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE

July 23, 2026 updated by: Ozden Baskan, Istanbul Rumeli University

THE EFFECT OF MANUAL THERAPY ON PAIN, DISABILITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MECHANICAL NECK PAIN

The aim of this study is to investigate whether conventional physical therapy combined with manual therapy reduces pain and maintains life support in individuals with chronic mechanical neck pain, compared to conventional physical therapy alone. The study plans to evaluate the combined benefits of both treatment methods and manual therapy. Pain, quality of life, range of motion, and neck injuries will be assessed in the participants. The treatment protocol will be administered twice a week, for a total of 10 sessions over a 5-week period.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Enrolling by invitation

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.

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 (Estimated)

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.
30

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

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

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • • Being between 18-65 years of age

    • Having neck pain that has lasted for at least three months
    • Having a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score of at least 3

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients not aged 18-60 years

    • Pregnant women or those suspected of being pregnant
    • Individuals with acute inflammatory diseases
    • Individuals with neurological deficits
    • Individuals with a positive vertebrobasilar artery test
    • Individuals with advanced osteoporosis
    • Individuals who have undergone spinal surgery
    • Individuals who have received an injection in the cervical region within the last 3 months
    • Individuals with any neurological or psychiatric disorders

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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.
Other: Physical Therapy
Conventional physical therapy includes transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), infrared device application, and exercise programs.
Other: Physical therapy
Traditional physiotherapy includes transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), infrared device application, and exercise programs.
Experimental: Physical therapy and Manual therapy
Cervical region mobilization techniques include bridging, cervical manual traction, rotation with traction, lateral flexion with traction, antero-posterior sliding and lateral sliding techniques with traction. Prior to joint mobilization techniques, bilaterally, soft tissue techniques including myofascial release techniques and ischemic compression will be applied to the cervical paravertebral muscles, upper and middle trapezius, levator scapula, sternocleidomastoid (SCM), anterior-medius posterior scalene muscles, deep and superficial fascia to reduce muscle spasm in the soft tissues and relax the cervical muscles. Transverse friction massage will be applied to the occipital attachment points of the semispinalis capitis and splenius capitis muscles.
Other: Physical therapy and manual therapy
Cervical region mobilization techniques include bridging, cervical manual traction, rotation with traction, lateral flexion with traction, antero-posterior sliding and lateral sliding techniques with traction. Prior to joint mobilization techniques, bilaterally, soft tissue techniques including myofascial release techniques and ischemic compression will be applied to the cervical paravertebral muscles, upper and middle trapezius, levator scapula, sternocleidomastoid (SCM), anterior-medius posterior scalene muscles, deep and superficial fascia to reduce muscle spasm in the soft tissues and relax the cervical muscles. Transverse friction massage will be applied to the occipital attachment points of the semispinalis capitis and splenius capitis muscles.

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
Pain Assessment
Time Frame: Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 5)
Visual Pain Scale
Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 5)
Range of motion
Time Frame: Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 5)
The data will be recorded in the range of motion assessment section of the patient evaluation form. While the participant is in a seated position, the measurement results of active flexion, extension, right and left rotation, right and left lateral flexion movements of the cervical region will be recorded.
Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 5)
Disability
Time Frame: Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 5)
Bournemoth Neck :The BDI consists of 10 categories: neck pain intensity, personal care, lifting, reading, headache, concentration, work, driving, sleep, and leisure activities. Individuals included in the study were asked to rate each category between 0 (no disability) and 5 (complete disability) (Vernon, 2008). The total score ranged from 0 (no disability) to 50 (complete disability).
Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 5)
quality of life
Time Frame: Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 5)

The SF-36 Quality of Life Scale consists of 36 items assessed across 8 separate subscales.

Physical function, social function, general health, fitness, mental health, pain, and physical and emotional role limitations are the subscales of the SF-36.

Each subscale can be scored between 0 and 100.
Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 5)

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.
Istanbul Rumeli 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 (Estimated)

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.
July 23, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
August 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
August 25, 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).
March 20, 2026

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.
March 20, 2026

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.
March 27, 2026

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.
July 24, 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 23, 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

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

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.
  • E-53938333-050-55608

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.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings