Effectiveness of a Massage Instrument Compared to Placebo for Upper Trapezius Muscle Pain

Immediate Effectiveness of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization Compared to Placebo on the Sensitivity of Latent Upper Trapezius Trigger Points: A Randomized Double Blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-group Study

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01167036

Enrollment

Registered

2010-07-22

Start date

2009-09-30

Completion date

2010-01-31

Last updated

2010-07-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Keywords

Myofascial pain syndrome, Trigger points, Myofascial, Chiropractic, Massage, Musculoskeletal manipulation

Brief summary

The purpose of this study was to determine if using a specialized massage tool was more effective than a placebo treatment in relieving pain in the upper trapezius muscle along the top of the shoulder.

Detailed description

The purpose of the study was to determine if a statistically significant and clinically meaningful difference exits between the FascialEdge tool and placebo in the treatment of latent upper trapezius trigger points.

Interventions

DEVICEFascialEdge instrument

Stroking massage to patient tolerance over the muscle

OTHERPlacebo electric point stimulation

Detuned electric point stimulation over the involved muscle

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 64 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* male or female * between 18-64 years of age * a latent trigger point of the upper trapezius muscle

Exclusion criteria

* an active trigger point of the upper trapezius muscle * rash or infection of the skin over the trigger point * neck pain * taking anticoagulant drugs * spontaneous bleeding * long term corticosteroid use

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Pressure pain threshold over the upper trapezius muscles as determined with a pressure pain algometer	Within five minutes after initial and only treatment

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026