Virtual chiropractor-delivered rehabilitation after vertebral fracture
Official title: Chiropractor Delivered Virtual Intervention After Vertebral frActure (VIVA)
Run by University of Waterloo · NCT07288684 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This pilot will test whether a chiropractor-led online program called VIVA helps people over 50 with osteoporotic vertebral fractures manage pain, move more safely, and follow targeted exercises.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 50 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 15 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Waterloo Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Waterloo, Ontario) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 20, 2025 |
| Main results expected | June 1, 2026 |
| Study ends | June 1, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | December 17, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07288684 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are men over 50 or postmenopausal women who had a vertebral fracture within the past two years, can use a smart device with a camera and internet, and are willing to complete twelve virtual sessions.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with spinal cord injury or cauda equina syndrome, recent traumatic fractures, active infections or inflammatory arthritis flares, planned major surgery, inability to follow instructions without caregiver support, or current participation in a similar rehab program are unlikely to benefit from this pilot.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This randomized pilot enrolls adults over 50 with a vertebral fracture in the past two years and randomizes them 1:1 to immediate VIVA or a waitlist usual-care control. VIVA starts with a virtual chiropractor assessment followed by twelve one-to-one Zoom sessions over eight weeks, combining brief education, exercise training, safe-movement coaching, and nutrition guidance supported by print and video materials. The program uses goal setting, action planning, and behavior-change techniques to teach exercises and body mechanics tailored to each participant. The trial focuses on feasibility measures such as recruitment, retention, acceptability, and preliminary signals of pain and function change.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, VIVA could reduce pain, improve mobility, and broaden access to specialized rehabilitation for people with osteoporotic spinal fractures.
How similar studies have gone: Exercise, education, and safe-movement training have some supporting evidence for vertebral fracture rehabilitation, but chiropractor-delivered virtual programs like VIVA have been largely untested in randomized trials.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Over the age of 50 (men or post-menopausal women) * Have had a vertebral fracture in the past two years * Willing to participate in twelve (12) virtual rehabilitation sessions for 10 weeks * Have access to internet and a smart device with a camera and microphone Exclusion Criteria: * Cauda equina syndrome or spinal cord injury * Had a traumatic fracture (i.e., car accident) * An active infection * Active inflammatory arthritis with a flare up within the past two years * An inability to follow two-step commands or understand instructions and are without a caregiver to support participation * Been participating in a similar rehabilitation program for vertebral fractures delivered by a physical therapist, exercise physiologist or kinesiologist and includes exercise * Any surgeries planned or health problems that might cause their health to change significantly in the next 3 months
Where it's running
-
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Allison A Legg
- Email: a2legg@uwaterloo.ca
- Phone: 289-380-0859
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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.