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Effect of Massage Therapy on Muscle Fatigue

Effect of Massage Therapy on Muscle Fatigue in Individuals With Low Back Pain: Physiological or Clinical Changes

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03124238
Enrollment
36
Registered
2017-04-21
Start date
2016-05-01
Completion date
2016-11-01
Last updated
2017-04-24

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

Conditions

Low Back Pain

Keywords

massage

Brief summary

The main objective of the current proposal is to investigate the clinical and physiological changes triggered by massage therapy in a group of individuals with chronic low back pain experiencing muscular fatigue. The investigators believe these objectives are in line with the 2014 Massage Therapy Research Fund research priorities, since the results produced by these investigations will generate knowledge with regard to the short term clinical efficacy of massage therapy and will provide critical information related to the physiological mechanisms underlying massage therapy clinical effects. Most importantly, the combined assessment of clinical and physiological outcomes will also yield key information to identify specific biological components of the massage therapy intervention. Determining the presence of a biological mechanism is, as for any treatment, considered one of the necessary criteria to declare a causal relationship between a specific intervention and its associated clinical effects. The investigators strongly believe that the proposed research will contribute to the identification of specific mechanisms that will complement the emerging clinical evidence supporting massage therapy in the treatment of chronic low back pain. The proposed research project will involve researchers and future practitioners of massage therapy. In conjunction with a high quality research environment, it is the goal of the investigators to create an educational environment for undergraduate and graduate students that will foster interdisciplinary collaboration in order to ensure a diversified; high quality training of young researchers and clinician scientists working in the field of manual therapies.

Interventions

OTHERMassage

Massage therapy localized to the back of the individuals for a duration of 30 minutes

Sponsors

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

repeated measures crossover

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Non specific low back pain

Exclusion criteria

* Low back pain of specific origin including but not limited to: herniated disk fractures spondylolisthesis * inflammatory rheumatic disease * infectious disease * neuromuscular disease * vascular disease * connective tissue disease * severe disabling pain * neurologic signs and symptoms * pregnancy

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Median frequency slope of the lumbar muscles (Hz/s)assessed immediatly after massage or restFatigue will be assess during a extensor muscle endurance task throught surface electromyography electrodes (the more the slope value is negative and high, the more the muscle presents an important fatigue)
Maximal isometric force of the lumbar muscles (Newtons)assessed immediatly after massage or restBack extensor isometric force is assess throught surface electromyography electrodes during a five seconds maximal volontary contraction

Outcome results

None listed

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