ERGON Therapy and Muscle Energy Technique for Mechanical Neck Pain (ERGOMET)

Comparison of ERGON Therapy With and Without Muscle Energy Technique in Patients With Mechanical Neck Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial

This randomized clinical trial will compare the effectiveness of ERGON Therapy combined with Muscle Energy Technique (MET) versus ERGON Therapy alone in patients with mechanical neck pain. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups. Both groups will receive conventional physiotherapy consisting of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), hot pack application, and cervical stretching exercises. The study will evaluate changes in pain intensity, cervical range of motion, and functional disability. The findings are expected to provide evidence regarding the added benefit of MET when combined with ERGON Therapy in the management of mechanical neck pain.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Neck Pain Musculoskeletal
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (ERGON Technique) Muscle Energy Technique Conventional Physiotherapy; Other: Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (ERGON Technique) Conventional Physiotherapy

Detailed Description

Mechanical neck pain is a common musculoskeletal condition that can adversely affect daily activities, work productivity, and quality of life. Various manual therapy approaches have been used to manage neck pain, including Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) techniques such as ERGON Therapy and Muscle Energy Technique (MET). However, limited evidence exists regarding the comparative effectiveness of ERGON Therapy with and without MET in individuals with mechanical neck pain.

This randomized clinical trial will recruit 42 participants diagnosed with mechanical neck pain. Eligible participants will be randomly allocated into two groups. Group A will receive ERGON Therapy in combination with Muscle Energy Technique, while Group B will receive ERGON Therapy alone. In addition, both groups will receive a standardized conventional physiotherapy program consisting of TENS, hot pack application, and cervical stretching exercises.

The intervention period will be conducted according to a predefined treatment protocol. Outcome measures will include pain intensity assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), cervical range of motion measured using appropriate clinical tools, and functional disability assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI). Assessments will be performed at baseline and after completion of the intervention period.

The primary objective of the study will be to determine whether the addition of Muscle Energy Technique to ERGON Therapy provides superior improvements in pain reduction, cervical mobility, and functional disability compared with ERGON Therapy alone. The results of this trial are expected to contribute to evidence-based rehabilitation strategies for the management of mechanical neck pain.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 42
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Sialkot, Pakistan, 54910
    • Bethania Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Individuals clinically diagnosed with mechanical neck pain Duration of neck pain of at least 2 weeks Willingness to participate and provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

History of cervical spine surgery within the past 12 months History of trauma or infection in the cervical region Presence of neurological deficits or cervical radiculopathy Presence of systemic disorders affecting musculoskeletal function Any other musculoskeletal deformity or significant disability affecting the neck region

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Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental Group; ERGON Therapy combined with Muscle Energy Technique plus conventional physiotherapy including TENS, hot pack application, and cervical stretching exercises.	Other: Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (ERGON Technique) Muscle Energy Technique Conventional Physiotherapy; Participants in the experimental group will receive Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization using ERGON technique combined with Muscle Energy Technique. ERGON therapy will be applied to cervical soft tissues to improve tissue mobility and reduce pain. Muscle Energy Technique will be used to facilitate joint mobility and reduce muscular tightness. In addition, participants will receive conventional physiotherapy including Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), hot pack application, and cervical stretching exercises.; Other Names: TENS, Hot Pack, Cervical Stretching
Active Comparator: Comparator Group; ERGON Therapy alone plus conventional physiotherapy including TENS, hot pack application, and cervical stretching exercises.	Other: Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (ERGON Technique) Conventional Physiotherapy; Participants in the comparator group will receive Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization using ERGON technique alone. ERGON therapy will be applied to cervical soft tissues to improve tissue mobility and reduce pain. In addition, participants will receive the same conventional physiotherapy protocol including Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), hot pack application, and cervical stretching exercises.; Other Names: TENS, Hot Pack, Cervical Stretching

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain Intensity (NPRS)	Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (0-10), where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates worst possible pain.	Baseline and after completion of 6 treatment sessions (2 weeks)
Cervical Range of Motion (CROM)	Cervical range of motion refers to the measurement of movement of the cervical spine in different planes, including flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation. It reflects neck mobility and functional joint movement and will be assessed using standard clinical methods at baseline and post-intervention.	Baseline and after completion of 6 treatment sessions over 2 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Functional Disability (Neck Disability Index - NDI)	Functional disability related to mechanical neck pain will be assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI). The questionnaire measures the impact of neck pain on activities of daily living, including personal care, lifting, reading, work, and concentration. Higher scores indicate greater disability.	Baseline and after completion of 6 treatment sessions over 2 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Management and Technology Sialkot Pakistan
• Investigators: Study Chair: DANYAL AHMAD, University of Management and Technology Sialkot Pakistan

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 22, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 22, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 26, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 26, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 22, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Muscle Energy Technique; Manual Therapy; Mechanical Neck Pain; Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization; ERGON Therapy
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Rehabilitation; Anesthesia and Analgesia; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Analgesia; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation
• Other Study ID Numbers: kuhs/dpt/umt-skt-028

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified individual participant data including baseline characteristics (age, gender), pain scores (Numeric Pain Rating Scale), cervical range of motion measurements, and Neck Disability Index scores will be shared. No personal identifiers such as names, contact details, or hospital record numbers will be included.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: IPD will be available beginning 6 months after study completion and will remain available for 5 years after study completion.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

De-identified individual participant data including baseline characteristics (age, gender), pain scores (Numeric Pain Rating Scale), cervical range of motion measurements, and Neck Disability Index scores will be shared. No personally identifiable information such as names, contact numbers, or hospital identification numbers will be included.

Supporting study documents such as study protocol and data collection forms may also be made available.

• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP; ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

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