Acute Effects of Percussion Massage in Nonspecific Neck Pain

December 13, 2025 updated by: Ertugrul Safran, Bezmialem Vakif University

Quick Relief or Real Response? Acute Effects of Percussion Massage Versus Sham Treatment in Individuals With Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the acute effects of percussion massage therapy compared with a sham intervention on cervical range of motion and pressure pain threshold in individuals with nonspecific neck pain.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Nonspecific neck pain is a common musculoskeletal condition associated with reduced cervical mobility and increased pain sensitivity. Percussion massage therapy has gained popularity as a therapeutic modality; however, evidence regarding its true physiological effects remains limited.

This single-blind randomized controlled trial investigated the immediate effects of percussion massage therapy compared with a sham intervention in individuals with nonspecific neck pain. Participants were randomly allocated to either a percussion massage therapy group or a sham percussion therapy group. Cervical range of motion and pressure pain threshold were assessed before and immediately after the intervention.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

30

Phase

  • 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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria

Adults aged 18 to 60 years

Diagnosis of nonspecific neck pain

Resting neck pain intensity of ≥3 on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

Willingness to participate and provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

History of cervical spine fracture, tumor, or inflammatory disease

Previous surgery involving the neck or shoulder region

Neurological deficits related to the cervical spine

Pregnancy or suspected pregnancy

Cognitive impairment or inability to understand study procedures

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: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Percussion Massage Therapy
Participants in this group receive a single session of percussion massage therapy applied to the bilateral upper trapezius muscles.
Device: Percussion Massage Therapy
Percussion massage therapy is applied using a handheld percussive massage device. The intervention is performed with the participant in a seated position and targets the bilateral upper trapezius muscles for a total duration of 6 minutes. A circular massage head is used to deliver percussive stimulation along the muscle for 2 minutes on each side, followed by focused stimulation at two trigger points using a bullet head attachment for 30 seconds per point at a frequency of 30 Hz.
Sham Comparator: Sham Percussion Therapy
Participants in this group receive a sham percussion intervention designed to mimic the active treatment without providing mechanical tissue stimulation.
Device: Sham Percussion Therapy
The same percussive massage device is activated to produce comparable sound and vibration cues but is held at a fixed distance from the skin without physical contact. The duration of the procedure and therapist-participant interaction are matched to the experimental intervention to maintain participant blinding.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cervical Range of Motion (ROM)
Time Frame: Immediately before and immediately after the intervention
Cervical range of motion (ROM) is assessed in flexion, extension, right and left lateral flexion, and right and left rotation using a digital goniometer. Measurements are performed in a seated position by a blinded assessor following standardized procedures.
Immediately before and immediately after the intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT)
Time Frame: Immediately before and immediately after the intervention
Pressure pain threshold (PPT) is measured bilaterally at two standardized points over the upper trapezius muscle using a digital pressure algometer. Pressure is gradually increased until the participant first perceives pain, and the mean of three measurements at each site is recorded.
Immediately before and immediately after the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Bezmialem Vakif 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)

May 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

September 12, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

September 20, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 13, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 13, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

December 29, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

December 29, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 13, 2025

Last Verified

December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • BVUçes

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Owing to ethical and privacy considerations, the data were not publicly available

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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