Response to Massage in Neck Pain

University of Florida

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Neck Pain

Treatments: Procedure: Cold Water Bath; Procedure: Pain Inducing Massage; Procedure: Pain Free Massage

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06224829

IRB202301891

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study is interested in whether baseline measures of pain sensitivity i.e. the amount of pressure required to feel pain predicts pain relief following a pain inducing massage AND whether pain relief following a pain inducing massage is different than a pain free massage or placing your hand in a cold water bath. Participants with neck pain will be randomly assigned to receive a pain inducing massage, pain free massage, or to place their hand in a cold water bath.

Enrollment: 53 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 18 to 60 years old
• Currently experiencing neck pain with or without arm pain
• Neck pain symptom intensity rated as 4/10 or higher during the last 24 hours
• Neck pain for greater than or equal to 3 months

Exclusion criteria

• Non- English speaking
• Systemic medical conditions known to affect sensation (e.g. diabetes)
• History of neck surgery or fracture within the past 6 months
• Current history of chronic pain condition other than neck pain
• Diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy or cervical myelopathy
• History of whiplash
• Currently using blood thinning medication
• Any blood clotting disorder such as hemophilia
• Any contraindication to application of ice, such as: uncontrolled hypertension, cold urticaria, cryoglobulinemia, paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria, and circulatory compromise
• Pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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53 participants in 3 patient groups

Pain Inducing Massage

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive 60 seconds of manual pressure applied to one point in their neck followed by 30 seconds of complete pressure release 4 times for a total contact time of 240 seconds. Pressure will be applied such that the participant rates the pain = 5/10 on an 11-point numeric pain rating scale with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the most severe pain imaginable.

Treatment:

Procedure: Pain Inducing Massage

Pain Free Massage

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will receive 60 seconds of manual pressure applied to one point in their neck followed by 30 seconds of complete pressure release 4 times for a total contact time of 240 seconds. Pressure will be applied such that the participant rates the pain = 0/10 on an 11-point numeric pain rating scale with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the most severe pain imaginable.

Treatment:

Procedure: Pain Free Massage

Cold Water Bath

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will place their non-dominant hand into water cooled by a refrigeration unit (NESLAB RTE 7 Digital One, Thermo Scientific Co., Massachusetts, USA) that circulates water continuously to maintain a constant temperature of 6 degrees Celsius (males) or 8 degrees Celsius (females). The participant will place his or her hand in the cooled water for 60 seconds followed by a 30 second break in which the participant will remove his or her hand from the water. This will occur 4 times for a total immersion time of 240 seconds.

Treatment:

Procedure: Cold Water Bath