Upper thoracic manipulation for chronic neck pain relief

Effect of Upper Thoracic Spine Manipulation on Cervical Symptoms and Selected Muscle Activities in Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain

This study tests if a hands-on treatment for the upper back can help people with chronic neck pain feel better and move more easily compared to a fake treatment.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 42 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years to 40 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Cairo University (other)
• Locations: 2 sites (Giza and 1 other locations)
• Trial ID: NCT06926738 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study investigates the effects of upper thoracic manipulation compared to a sham treatment on chronic neck pain and muscle activity. It measures pain intensity, cervical range of motion, and myoelectric activity of specific neck muscles before, immediately after, and one to two weeks post-intervention. Participants will be assessed using visual analogue scales and surface electrodes to capture muscle activity during maximum voluntary contractions. The goal is to determine the effectiveness of this manual therapy technique in alleviating neck pain and improving mobility.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are individuals aged 18-40 with chronic non-specific neck pain and mobility deficits lasting at least three months.

Not a fit: Patients with cervical radiculopathy or those outside the specified age range may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could provide a non-invasive treatment option for patients suffering from chronic neck pain.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown positive outcomes with manual therapy techniques for neck pain, suggesting potential success for this approach.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male and female subjects diagnosed and classified as having chronic non-specific NP with mobility disorders based on clinical guidelines of NP:

   * Having NP for at least 3 months that may be associated with referred shoulder or upper extremity pain (Blanpied et al., 2017; Erdem et al., 2021; Puntumetakul et al., 2015).
   * Present with a limitation of cervical ROM and their pain can be provoked by sustained end-range spinal movements or positions will be included (Blanpied et al., 2017).
   * Patients present with unilateral or bilateral symptoms will be included (Blanpied et al., 2017; Yang et al., 2015).
2. Age between 18-40 (J. Dunning \& Rushton, 2009)
3. Negative four tests of the Wainner cluster to exclude NP with radiating pain (Wainner et al., 2003).
4. Hypomobility of at least one of the upper thoracic vertebrae (T1-T4) during segmental mobility assessment (Ssavedra-Hernández et al., 2011).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Subjects diagnosed as cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy (Ssavedra-Hernández et al., 2011).
2. A history of whiplash injury, past cervical or thoracic surgery, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal fracture, heart disease, a recent significant trauma, and meningitis (Joshi et al., 2020; Puntumetakul et al., 2015).
3. The presence of contraindications of spinal manipulation as spinal infection and spinal osteoporosis(Ssavedra-Hernández et al., 2011).

Where this trial is running

Giza and 1 other locations

• CairoU — Giza, Egypt (RECRUITING)
• Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University — Giza, Egypt (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Mohamed Nagy Hassan Abdelhamid, MSc degree

Conditions: Chronic Neck Pain, Neck Pain, Thoracic manipulation, Manual Therapy, Neck pain with Mobility Deficits, Muscle activity