Effects of Graston Technique Versus Soft Tissue Release on Neck Pain and Range of Motion. (GT vs MSTR)

Comparative Effects of Graston Technique and Manual Soft Tissue Release on Pain and Range of Motion in Patients With Tension Neck Syndrome

This study compares two manual therapy techniques for treating tension neck syndrome: Graston Technique and Manual Soft Tissue Release. Tension neck syndrome causes neck pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion.

Participants will be assigned to receive either Graston Technique or Manual Soft Tissue Release for a set number of sessions. Researchers will measure changes in neck pain and range of motion before and after treatment to see which technique is more effective.

The purpose is to provide evidence on the best manual therapy approach for improving neck pain and movement in patients with tension neck syndrome.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Tension Neck Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Graston Technique; Procedure: Manual Soft Tissue Release

Detailed Description

Tension neck syndrome is a common musculoskeletal condition characterized by neck pain, muscle tightness, and limited cervical range of motion. Manual therapy interventions such as Graston Technique and Manual Soft Tissue Release are widely used in physiotherapy practice, but direct comparative evidence between them is limited.

This interventional study aims to compare the effects of Graston Technique versus Manual Soft Tissue Release on pain intensity and cervical range of motion in patients diagnosed with tension neck syndrome.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups. Group 1 will receive Graston Technique, and Group 2 will receive Manual Soft Tissue Release. Both interventions will be delivered by qualified physiotherapists according to a standardized protocol. Outcomes including pain, measured by the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, and cervical range of motion, measured by goniometry, will be assessed at baseline and post-intervention.

The study will help determine which technique provides greater improvement in pain reduction and functional mobility, guiding clinical decision-making in the management of tension neck syndrome.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Punjab Province
    • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 54000
      • Rafique Bhatti Memorial Hospital, Department of Physiotherapy

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients aged 20-60 years.
2. Patients of both genders.
3. Patients with persistent neck pain.
4. Patients with neck pain absent of spondylosis, disk prolapse, or radiculopathy.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. The patients who did not want to participate
2. The patients who just had cervical spine surgery.
3. The patients who had recent cervical injury.
4. The patients who comes with tumor of the cervical spine.
5. The patients affected by neck dysfunction.
6. The patients with cervical disc herniation.
7. The patients who had difficulties in language.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Graston Technique; Participants in this arm receive Graston Technique, an instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization therapy. Treatment is applied to the cervical spine and upper trapezius muscles using stainless steel instruments. Frequency and duration of sessions are as defined in the study protocol. All interventions are delivered by a licensed physiotherapist.	Procedure: Graston Technique; Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization using stainless steel Graston Technique instruments. The technique is applied to the cervical spine and upper trapezius muscles to reduce pain and improve range of motion in patients with tension neck syndrome. Treatment is delivered by a licensed physiotherapist according to the study protocol.; Other Names: IASTM
Experimental: Manual Soft Tissue Release; Participants in this arm receive Manual Soft Tissue Release, a hands-on manual therapy technique. The therapist applies sustained pressure and stretching to release tightness in the cervical spine and upper trapezius muscles. Frequency and duration of sessions are as defined in the study protocol. All interventions are delivered by a licensed physiotherapist.	Procedure: Manual Soft Tissue Release; Manual soft tissue mobilization technique performed by a licensed physiotherapist using hands-on pressure and stretching. The technique targets tightness in the cervical spine and upper trapezius muscles to reduce pain and improve cervical range of motion in patients with tension neck syndrome. Treatment is delivered according to the study protocol.; Other Names: Manual Therapy; MSTR

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Neck Pain Intensity	Neck pain intensity measured using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), where 0 = no pain and 10 = worst pain imaginable. Higher scores indicate greater pain.	Baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention
Change in Cervical Range of Motion	Cervical range of motion for flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation measured in degrees using a goniometer. Higher values indicate greater range of motion.	Baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Green International University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Wajeeha Nadeem, Masters in Rehabilitation Scie, Green Internation University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 2, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 29, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): May 5, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 16, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 22, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Physiotherapy; Neck Pain; Manual Therapy; Graston Technique; Cervical Range of Motion; Manual Soft Tissue Release
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Neck Pain; Therapeutics; Complementary Therapies; Physical Therapy Modalities; Rehabilitation; Musculoskeletal Manipulations
• Other Study ID Numbers: GIU/REC/26-36

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: Only IPD used in the results publication will be shared
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: It will be available after the completion of the study.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: De-identified individual participant data and the study protocol will be made available to researchers whose proposed use of the data has been approved by the study team. Requests should be sent to the corresponding author via email. Data will be shared after execution of a data use agreement and for the purpose of meta-analysis or secondary research related to tension neck syndrome and manual therapy.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP; ICF; CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No