INSTRUMENT ASSISSTED SOFT TISSUE MOBILIZATION VERSUS DRY CUPPING ON UPPER TRAPEZIUS TRIGGER POINT… (NCT07260019) | Clinical Trial Compass
Not Yet RecruitingNot Applicable
INSTRUMENT ASSISSTED SOFT TISSUE MOBILIZATION VERSUS DRY CUPPING ON UPPER TRAPEZIUS TRIGGER POINTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
75 participantsStarted 2025-12-01
Plain-language summary
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to compare the effects of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) and dry cupping in patients (both genders), aged 20-50 years, diagnosed with chronic non-specific neck pain who have active upper trapezius trigger points. The main questions it aims to answer are :
1. Is there a significant difference in the effect on pain level (measured by VAS) between the groups?
2. Is there a significant difference in the effect on cervical range of motion (CROM), pressure pain threshold (PPT), and functional disability (NDI) between the groups?
Researchers will compare three groups:
1. Group A (Control):\] Will receive a conventional physical therapy program (hot packs, TENS, and exercises).
2. Group B (Experimental):\] Will receive conventional therapy plus IASTM.
3. Group C (Experimental):\] Will receive conventional therapy plus Dry Cupping.
Participants will be asked to do the following:
1. Undergo baseline assessments (measuring pain, ROM, PPT, and disability) before treatment and final assessments after 4 weeks.
2. Attend \[3 treatment sessions per week for four weeks\].
3. At each session, all participants will receive the conventional physical therapy program , while Groups B and C will receive their additional intervention (IASTM or dry cupping).
Who can participate
Age range20 Years – 50 Years
SexALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
✓. Had an active upper trapezius TrP (defined as a tender nodule in a taut band that referred pain in a pattern specific for upper trapezius TrP1 or TrP2).
✓. Pain of at least 40 mm on a visual analogue scale (VAS).
✓. Body mass index from 18 - 30 kg/m2
Exclusion criteria
✕. Participants who will exhibit signs of fibromyalgia syndrome.
✕. Participants with a specific neck pain such as cervical radiculopathy with neurological deficits (e.g., motor weakness, significant sensory loss), cervical instability, fracture, tumor, infection, or inflammatory arthropathies.
✕. Sensory problems in the upper or midback regions, heart/circulation problems.
✕. Participants who will have vascular syndromes such as vertebrobasilar insufficiency.
What they're measuring
1
Pain Intensity Level
Timeframe: Baseline (before intervention) and after 4 weeks of treatment.