Home » Trials » SLCTR/2026/001
EFFECTIVENESS OF MYOFASCIAL RELEASE, MUSCLE ENERGY TECHNIQUE, AND TENS ON PAIN, RANGE OF MOTION, FUNCTIONAL STATUS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULTS WITH CHRONIC NON-SPECIFIC NECK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
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SLCTR Registration Number
SLCTR/2026/001
Date of Registration
The date of last modification
Jan 09, 2026
Scientific Title of Trial
EFFECTIVENESS OF MYOFASCIAL RELEASE, MUSCLE ENERGY TECHNIQUE, AND TENS ON PAIN, RANGE OF MOTION, FUNCTIONAL STATUS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULTS WITH CHRONIC NON-SPECIFIC NECK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
Public Title of Trial
Effectiveness of Myofascial Release and Muscle Energy Technique Compared with Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Pain, Range of Motion, Functional Status, and Quality of Life in Adults with Chronic Non-Specific Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Disease or Health Condition(s) Studied
Chronic Neck Pain
Scientific Acronym
None
Public Acronym
None
Brief title
None
Universal Trial Number
U1111-1323-9604
Any other number(s) assigned to the trial and issuing authority
2024/EC/64:FoM,UoP
What is the research question being addressed?
In patients with chronic neck pain, does Myofascial Release and Muscle Energy Technique improve pain, cervical range of motion, functional status, and quality of life to a significantly greater degree compared to Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation?’
Type of study
Interventional
Study design
Allocation
Randomized controlled trial
Masking
Double blinded : Participants, Data analysts, Outcome assessors
Control
Standard therapy/practice
Assignment
Parallel
Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Phase 2
Intervention(s) planned
The study will be conducted in the outpatient physiotherapy department of Nawaloka Hospital, Negombo, Sri Lanka. Eligible participants will be randomly allocated into three groups using a computer-generated randomization sequence. Allocation concealment will be ensured, and both participants and outcome assessors will be blinded to group allocation.
This study consists of three interventions. All interventions will use generic names and follow standardized physiotherapy protocols. Group A – Myofascial Release (MFR) + TENS + Exercises • Type of intervention: Manual therapy (myofascial release) • Procedure: Gentle sustained pressure, cross-hand techniques, soft tissue release to trapezius, levator scapulae, paraspinals. Repeated 5 cycles per muscle group. • Duration per session: 15 minutes • Frequency: 2 sessions per week • Total sessions: 8 sessions (4 weeks) • Combined with: o TENS (see below) for 20 minutes o Exercises: cervical ROM, stretching (30 sec × 3 reps), isometric strengthening (10 sec × 5–10 reps) Group B – Muscle Energy Technique (MET) + TENS + Exercises • Type of intervention: Manual therapy (muscle energy technique – post-isometric relaxation) • Procedure: Patient-generated isometric contractions against therapist resistance followed by passive stretch. Repeated for 5 cycles. • Duration: 15 minutes • Frequency: 2 sessions per week • Total sessions: 8 sessions (4 weeks) • Combined with: o TENS for 20 minutes o Same exercise program as above. Group C – TENS + Exercises (Control Group) • Type of intervention: Electrotherapy (TENS) • Device: Standard TENS device using biphasic asymmetrical rectangular pulses • Electrode placement: Paraspinal cervical region (bilateral) • Parameters: o Frequency: 100 Hz o Pulse width: 200 µs o Intensity: Strong but comfortable (non-painful), without visible muscle contraction • Duration: 20 minutes per session • Frequency: 2 sessions per week • Total sessions: 8 sessions (4 weeks) Combined with: Standard exercise program as above.
Inclusion criteria
• Adults aged 20–40 years * Having chronic non-specific neck pain lasting more than 12 weeks • Pain intensity of VAS ?4 • Both male and female participants Exclusion Criteria • Presence of specific neck pain due to underlying pathology such as cervical disc prolapse, tumor, whiplash injury, cervical fractures, or osteoporosis • Presence of neurological signs consistent with cervical nerve root compression
Exclusion criteria
• Presence of specific neck pain due to underlying pathology such as Cervical disc prolapse, Tumor, Whiplash injury, Cervical fractures, Osteoporosis, presence of neurological signs. • Have pain intensity less than 4 on the VAS scale.
Primary outcome(s)
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Secondary outcome(s)
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Target number/sample size
93 (31 in each group)
Countries of recruitment
Anticipated start date
2026-01-08
Anticipated end date
2026-04-08
Date of first enrollment
Date of study completion
Recruitment status
Pending
Funding source
Self funded
Regulatory approvals
N/A
Status
Approved
Date of Approval
2025-05-19
Approval number
2024/EC/64
Details of Ethics Review Committee
| Name: | Ethics Review Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya |
| Institutional Address: | Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya |
| Telephone: | 0812396361 |
| Email: | chairperson.erc@med.pdn.ac.lk |
Contact person for Scientific Queries/Principal Investigator
S.M.Joseph
Post graduate student (MSc in Physiotherapy)
Department of Physiotherapy
Faculty of Allied Health Sciences,
University of Peradeniya,
Augusta Hill,
Sri Amarawansa Mawatha,
Peradeniys
0813999623
0779870744
stefyphysio@gmail.com
ahs.pdn.ac.lk
Contact Person for Public Queries
Ms. D.A.R.K. Dassanayaka
Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Allied Health Sciences,
University of Peradeniya.
0763859789
0763859789
renukadasanayaka@gmail.com
ahs.pdn.ac.lk
Do the investigators plan to share identified individual clinical trial participant-level data (IPD)?
No
IPD sharing plan description
Study protocol available
No
Protocol version and date
Not Available
Protocol URL
Not Available
Results summary available
No
Date of posting results
Date of study completion
Final sample size
Date of first publication
Link to results
Brief summary of results
