Recruiting

Massage

Sponsor:

University of Florida

Code:

NCT06224829

Conditions

Neck Pain

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 60

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Pain Inducing Massage

Pain Free Massage

Cold Water Bath

Study Details

Brief summary:

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.

Conditions

Neck Pain

Study ID

NCT06224829

Start date

Apr 8, 2024

Status verified date

Jul, 2025

Completion date

Jul 22, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jul 22, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 60

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

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

Study Design

Enrollment

53 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Pain Inducing Massage

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.

active comparator: Pain Free Massage

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.

active comparator: Cold Water Bath

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.

Interventions

Pain Inducing Massage

60 seconds of direct pressure to the neck resulting in 5/10 pain . This will be repeated four times for a total of 240 seconds

Pain Free Massage

60 seconds of direct pressure to the neck resulting in 0/10 pain . This will be repeated four times for a total of 240 seconds

Cold Water Bath

Participants will place their hand in a cold water bath maintained at 6 to 8 degrees Celsius for 60 seconds. This will be repeated four times for a total of 240 seconds.

Primary outcome measure

  • Pressure Pain Threshold [ Time Frame: Baseline and immediately following the intervention ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Joel Bialosky, PT, PhD

352-733-1162bialosky@phhp.ufl.edu

Locations

University of Florida

Recruiting

Gainesville, Florida, United States, 32610

Contacts

Joel E Bialosky, PhD

352-273-8636bialosky@phhp.ufl.edu

Principal Investigator:

Joel E Bialosky, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

University of Florida

Last update posted

Jul 24, 2025

Last verified

Jul, 2025

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Florida on 2025-07-24.