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CompletedNCT04904367Updated Sep 29, 2025

Deep Tissue Massage in the Myofascial Pain Syndrome

An interventional study of Deep tissue massage and Conventional physiotherapy in Massage Therapy and Myofascial Pain Syndrome, sponsored by Ömer Bingölbali. Completed at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 20 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-09-29.

Sponsored by Ömer Bingölbali · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 2 years 4 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Jan 2019, registered May 2021).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
80
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
20 Years to 60 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study aims to examine the effect of deep tissue massage (DTM) on myofascial trigger point (MTrP) number, neck range of motion (ROM), pain, disability and quality of life in patients with Myofacial pain syndrome (MPS).

Read the detailed description

A total of 88 patients with MPS were screened for eligibility. Of these patients, 80 who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into two groups using randomization with computer-generated random numbers as the control group (n=40) and DTM group (n=40).

The patients were evaluated at baseline (Day 0), and the end of treatment (Week 4).

02

Conditions studied

  • Massage Therapy
  • Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Keywords

  • Myofascial pain syndrome
  • Neck disability
  • Pain
  • Quality of life
03

In context

Myofascial Pain Syndromes

1,136 studies on the registry are indexed under Myofascial Pain Syndromes; 137 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 80 is above the median of 60 across 931 interventional studies indexed under Myofascial Pain Syndromes.

Browse Myofascial Pain Syndromes studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Ömer Bingölbali as lead sponsor.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
20 Years to 60 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Being over the age of 18
  • Have at least one active trigger point
  • Have not previously undergone local injectable anesthetic blockage or acupuncture,
  • Complaining of pain for the last three months
  • Getting a diagnosis of MPS

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with infectious skin disease,
  • Using analgesic and antidepressant medication,
  • A history of major trauma or surgical intervention,
  • Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≤ 24 according
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
80 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Deep tissue massage

    For 4 weeks 20 session, this groups were applied hot pack with 20 minutes of conventional Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation(TENS) to back and neck region, followed by 4 minutes of ultrasound at a frequency of 3 Megahertz(MHz) and at a dosage of 1 w / cm2. Also, administered DTM to the back and neck region for 20 min in 12 sessions in addition to the conventional physical therapy.

    Procedure: Deep tissue massage · Procedure: Conventional physiotherapy

  • Experimental
    Conventional physiotherapy

    For 4 weeks 20 session, this groups were applied hot pack with 20 minutes of conventional TENS to back and neck region, followed by 4 minutes of ultrasound at a frequency of 3 MHz and at a dosage of 1 w / cm2.

    Procedure: Conventional physiotherapy

Interventions

  • ProcedureDeep tissue massage

    The amount of pressure during the massage was adjusted by the physiotherapist with reference to muscle tissue palpation in the patients. During the massage, olecranon, pisiform bone protrusion, metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joint faces forearm, wrist and fingers were used during the massage to reach deep tissue. As a massage technique, compression and stretching techniques are used in combination.

  • ProcedureConventional physiotherapy

    For 4 weeks 20 session, this group were applied hot pack with 20 minutes of conventional TENS to back and neck region, followed by 4 minutes of ultrasound at a frequency of 3 MHz and at a dosage of 1 w / cm2.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change from baseline in neck pain on the 10-point Visual Analog Scale(VAS) at 4 week

    The severity of neck pain was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) consists of scores from 0 to 10 in a horizontal line of 10 cm. Patients are asked to mark a place on the scale according to the pain they feel. Increased VAS scores indicate increased pain.

    Time frame: Baseline and 4 week

  2. Change from baseline in quality of life on the 36-point Short-Form 36(SF-36) at 4 week

    Short form-36 (SF-36) was used to determine the quality of life. SF-36, which has a generic scale feature and provides wide angle measurement among the quality of life scales; Ware et al. It was developed and put into use in 1993. The scale includes items including perception of change in health in the last four weeks and perception of change in health in the last week. SF-36 Turkish validity and reliability study has been done. While the increase in the score negatively affects the body pain, physical and emotional role, it positively affects the parameters of physical function, vitality/energy, general health, mental health and social functioning.

    Time frame: Baseline and 4 week

  3. Change from baseline in disability on the 20-point at 4 week Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPDS) at 4 week

    The Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPDS) was used for the assessment of disability. This scale was developed by Wheeler et al. NPDS is a 20-item questionnaire developed using VAS as a template. The questions investigate the intensity of pain and its interaction with professional, recreational and functional aspects of life, and the presence and extent of emotional factors related to these. The scoring of each question varies between 0-5. The range of points people can get varies between 0-100. High score values indicate severe disability in patients. NPDS is an index has Turkish reliability and validity, consisting of 20 questions and each question scored between 0 and 5. Increased NPDS scores indicate increased disability.

    Time frame: Baseline and 4 week

  4. Change from baseline in range of motion on the universal goniometer at 4 week

    A universal goniometer was used to evaluate the active neck range of motion (ROM) of the patients. The universal goniometer consists of a pivot point and two arms, fixed and movable. The fixed arm is kept fixed to the immobile part of the extremity or to the floor or body where the measurement is made. The movable arm is the arm that follows and makes the measurement throughout the movement of the measured joint. During our measurement, we chose the pivot point to be the acromion, the earlobe alignment for the movable arm and the fixed arm to be parallel to the ground.

    Time frame: Baseline and 4 week

  5. Change from baseline in number of trigger points on the manual palpation at 4 week

    Manual palpation of the trapezius and levator scapula muscles was performed by a trained physiotherapist in this field to assess the presence of MTrP. Palpation always bilateral was performed with the third and second fingers of each hand with a pressure of no more than 4 kg, which is the conventional approach for detecting tender and trigger points. We considered the pressure of more than 4 kg as whitening of the nail.

    Time frame: Baseline and 4 week

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Mus Alparslan University
    Muş, Güzeltepe District 49100, Turkey (Türkiye)
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Romanowski MW, Spiritovic M, Rutkowski R, Dudek A, Samborski W, Straburzynska-Lupa A. Comparison of Deep Tissue Massage and Therapeutic Massage for Lower Back Pain, Disease Activity, and Functional Capacity of Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients: A Randomized Clinical Pilot Study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:9894128. doi: 10.1155/2017/9894128. Epub 2017 Aug 6. PubMed 28845185 ↗
  • Kaye AD, Kaye AJ, Swinford J, Baluch A, Bawcom BA, Lambert TJ, Hoover JM. The effect of deep-tissue massage therapy on blood pressure and heart rate. J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Mar;14(2):125-8. doi: 10.1089/acm.2007.0665. PubMed 18315516 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 29, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04904367
Lead sponsor
Ömer Bingölbali
Collaborators
Muş Alparslan University
Responsible party
Ömer Bingölbali (lecturer, Muş Alparslan University) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
May 27, 2021
Start date
Jan 1, 2019
Primary completion
May 22, 2021
Completion
May 22, 2021
Last update
Sep 29, 2025

Study contacts

Ömer BİNGÖLBALİ, Master
principal investigator · Mus Alparslan Universtiy

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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