Efficacy of Osteopathic Visceral Treatment in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain

Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Cervical Pain

Treatments: Other: Diaphragm, Stomach and Liver techniques; Other: Stomach and Liver techniques; Other: Sham technique

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05914129

OST1-008

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to analyze the effects of visceral osteopathic treatment of the diaphragm, stomach and liver in the treatment of chronic neck pain.

Full description

Cervical pain is a very common condition, whom can originate from bad posture, cervical tension, anxiety, depression and occupational or sportive activities. The influence of mobility and function changes of the abdominal viscera in the cervical region is a mechanism that is still poorly described in literature.

It is expected to find, through mechanical and neural pathways, that the visceral osteopathy treatment will have some effect on chronic neck pain.

This study intends to check the effects of the diaphragm stretching, inferior mobilization of the stomach and liver pump techniques (restoring mobility and normalizing function of the viscera) on the neck region, by employing some questionnaires/instruments.

During the present study, the effects of the visceral techniques will be analyzed in the following variables: Neck Disability Index (NDI), Numeric Pain Scale (NPS or END) and Global Pain Scale (GPS or EPGM).

Enrollment: 45 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Pain in the posterior cervical region for more than 3 months;
• Knowing how to read and write;

Exclusion criteria

• Recent Cervicothoracic or Thoracoabdominal trauma (less than 6 months);
• Surgical procedure in the cervical region less than 6 months ago
• Surgical procedure in the abdominal region less than 6 months ago;
• Diagnosis of disc disease/radiculopathy;
• Rheumatic and/or neurological disease;
• Pregnancy status

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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45 participants in 3 patient groups

Control Group (GC)

Sham Comparator group

Description:

To each volunteer, after 2 questionnaires, sham techniques will be performed to this group. The investigator will mimic the technique contacts without actually performing any type of tissue traction or compression, maintaining contact for the same amount of time described in the refered techniques. Following the technique, volunteers will answer the same 2 questionnaires shown previously.

Treatment:

Other: Sham technique

Experimental Group A (GEA)

Experimental group

Description:

To each volunteer, after 2 questionnaires, Diaphragm Stretching, Lower stomach mobilization and Liver pump techniques will be performed to this group. The diaphragm technique is performed 2 times with 1 minute interval, with the duration of 10 respiratory cycles. The lower stomach mobilization and liver pump techniques are performed one time, for 5 minutes each. Following the technique, volunteers will answer the same 2 questionnaires shown previously.

Treatment:

Other: Diaphragm, Stomach and Liver techniques

Experimental Group B (GEB)

Experimental group

Description:

To each volunteer, after 2 questionnaires, Lower stomach mobilization and Liver pump techniques will be performed to this group. These 2 techniques are the same ones as described for the experimental group A. Following the technique, volunteers will answer the same 2 questionnaires shown previously.

Treatment:

Other: Stomach and Liver techniques