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CompletedNCT05474443Updated Jul 26, 2022

Comparison of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization and Myofascial Gun in Upper Cross Syndrome

An interventional study of Myofascial gun with conventional therapy and Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization with Conventional therapy in Postural; Defect, sponsored by Riphah International University. Completed at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 20 Years to 50 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-07-26.

Sponsored by Riphah International University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 7 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Nov 2021, registered Jul 2022).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
30
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
20 Years to 50 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

To compare the effects of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization and Myofascial gun in Upper Cross Syndrome

Read the detailed description

Upper Cross Syndrome is a very common postural abnormality developed due to prolong slouched postures in desk jobs and also in students. Janda explained it that it is simultaneous presence of Forward Head Posture and protracted shoulders.

This includes weakness of lower and middle trapezius, deep neck flexors, rhomboids and serratus anterior. It also includes tightness of upper trapezius, Sternocleidomastoid, Pectoralis major and minor. The simultaneous occurrence of FHP and rounded shoulder is nothing but upper crossed syndrome.

Upper Trapezius is the primary muscle that is involved in Upper Cross Syndrome. Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization is applied over the tight muscles to improve muscle length to its normal length. It is applied from origin to insertion with some pressure to apply compression on the muscle.

Myofascial gun is a recent technology that can be applied by the clinician and also by the affected person for self mobilization. They provide varying amount of frequencies through various shaped heads according to the area they are used,

02

Conditions studied

  • Postural; Defect

Keywords

  • Upper Cross Syndrome
  • Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization
  • Myofascial gun
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In context

Oculocerebral hypopigmentation syndrome type Preus

37 studies on the registry are indexed under Oculocerebral hypopigmentation syndrome type Preus; 20 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 30 is below the median of 48 across 34 interventional studies indexed under Oculocerebral hypopigmentation syndrome type Preus.

Browse Oculocerebral hypopigmentation syndrome type Preus studies →

Lead sponsor

Riphah International University is the lead sponsor of 2,176 studies on the registry; 637 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
20 Years to 50 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients with forward head posture and upper crossed syndrome

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Congenital anomalies of shoulder
  • Malalignment/previous fracture of clavicle
  • Malignancy and Tuberculosis of spine
  • Pigeon and Barrel chest
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
30 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Myofascial gun with Conventional therapy

    • Myofascial gun was applied over the Upper Trapezius muscle for 5 minutes. In the first two sessions frequency was set to 1-2 then increased to next two sessions 3-4 and so on.

    Other: Myofascial gun with conventional therapy

  • Active comparator
    Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization with Conventional therapy

    Graston's tool moved over the skin on upper trapezius muscle from its origin to insertion at 45 degree. conventional therapy applied with Thermotherapy, upper trapezius, levator scapulae and pectoralis major stretching and cryotherapy at the end

    Other: Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization with Conventional therapy

Interventions

  • OtherMyofascial gun with conventional therapy

    MYofascial gun was applied for the duration of 5 minutes over upper trapezius muscle. every week, on first two sessions frequency was set to 1-2 then for next two 3-4 and so on conventional therapy Hot Pack applied at the beginning of session for 10 minutes Muscle stretching of Upper Trapezius, Levator Scapulae and Pectoralis Major applied with holding time 20 seconds and 4 repetitions. Cold pack was applied at the end of the session for few minutes

  • OtherInstrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization with Conventional therapy

    Graston's tool was applied over upper trapezius muscle from its origin to insertion kept at the angle of 45 Conventional Therapy Hot pack 10mins Upper Trapezius, Levator scapule and Pectoralis major muscle stretching(20s hold and 4 reps) Cold pack for few minutes

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Numeric Pain Rating Scale

    Changes from baseline Numeric pain Rating Scale is used to objectively assess musculoskeletal pain as marked by the patient. It is a 10 point scale from 0 to 10. 0 depicts no pain at all and 10 shows worst pain ever felt. It was measured at baseline and after 4 weeks of the intervention

    Time frame: 4th week

  2. Tragus to wall distance test

    Changes from baseline Tragus to wall distance test is used to measure Forward Head Posture. The subject stands 10cm away from wall and then with the help of a ruler the distance from tragus of ear to wall is measured. If the distance was more than 9.5 cm then it was considered as forward head posture. it was measured at baseline and after 4 weeks of intervention

    Time frame: 4th week

  3. Neck Disability Index

    Changes from baseline NDI is the most widely used instrument for assessing self-rated disability in patients with neck pain. The NDI is a self-report questionnaire with 10-items. The response to each item is rated on a 6-point scale from 0 (no disability) to 5 (complete disability). The numeric responses for each item are summed for a total score ranging between 0 and 50. Most of the subjects did not know how to drive so their total score was taken from 45. The questionnaire was filled by the subjects at basline and after 4 weeks of the intervention

    Time frame: 4th week

  4. Inclinometer

    Changes from baseline Bubble inclinometers are portable, lightweight, inexpensive and require training. With the movement of neck the ink in the inclinometer moves and the level of ink gives the measure of the range of motion. For flexion, extension and lateral flexion of cervical Range of motion in sitting position and inclinometer was positioned at the top of head in sagittal plane. For rotations the subject was in supine position and inclinometer was placed over the forehead. Cervical ranges of motions were measured at baseline and then after 4 weeks of intervention

    Time frame: 4th week

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Pakistan Railway General Hospital
    Rawalpindi, Punjab Province 46010, Pakistan
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 26, 2022, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05474443
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jul 26, 2022
Start date
Nov 25, 2021
Primary completion
Jul 1, 2022
Completion
Jul 10, 2022
Last update
Jul 26, 2022

Study contacts

Muhammad Affan Iqbal, PhD*
principal investigator · Riphah International University

Oversight

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

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