Immediate effects of spinal manipulation, exercise, and placebo on movement in chronic low back pain
Official title: Acute Effects of Spinal Manipulative Therapy, Exercise Therapy and Open-label Placebo on Movement Performance in Individuals With Chronic Back Pain
Run by Karolinska Institutet · NCT06891625 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will try a single session of spinal manipulation, targeted trunk exercises, and an open-label placebo to see which produces immediate improvements in movement and pain for adults with chronic non-specific low back pain.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 40 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Karolinska Institutet Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Huddinge) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 1, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 30, 2025 |
| Study ends | September 30, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | July 14, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT06891625 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults (over 18) with recurring or continuous non-specific back pain for more than three months who can speak Scandinavian or English and have no red-flag conditions.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with specific spinal pathology, inflammatory rheumatic disease, fractures, diagnosed hip osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, neurological comorbidity, or other contraindications to spinal manipulation are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a laboratory-based, randomized cross-over experiment in which each participant receives three brief interventions (spinal manipulative therapy, exercise therapy, and an open-label placebo) in randomized order. Outcomes measured immediately after each intervention include a work-related lifting task, gait kinematics, active trunk range of motion, and pain intensity using motion-capture and clinical measures. Participants are adults with chronic non-specific back pain recruited from primary care and each intervention lasts about 5–8 minutes. The design focuses on short-term, objective changes in movement performance rather than long-term clinical outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could identify which brief interventions produce immediate improvements in movement and pain, helping clinicians choose quick strategies to restore function.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows short-term subjective benefits from both spinal manipulation and exercise, while open-label placebo is a newer but promising approach with some positive results in nonspecific pain conditions.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Persons who have either experienced continuous or recurring back pain for a period longer than 3 months). Back pain is defined as problems/discomfort from the spine Th1-S1 with associated costovertebral joints and sacroiliac joints, thus including both the lumbar spine and the thoracic spine. The area of pain extends from Th1 to the inferior gluteal fold but does not include the shoulder blades * \>18 years old, * those who can speak and understand Scandinavian or English. Exclusion Criteria: * "red flags" * persons with specific back problems, rheumatic inflammatory joint- and/or back diseases, fractures, diagnosed hip osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, or neurological co-morbidity.
Where it's running
-
Karolinska Institutet
Huddinge, Sweden Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Wilhelmus JA Grooten, associated professor
- Email: Wim.Grooten@ki.se
- Phone: +46-8-52488861
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.