An interventional study of Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (ERGON Technique) Muscle Energy Technique Conventional Physiotherapy and Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (ERGON Technique) Conventional Physiotherapy in Neck Pain Musculoskeletal, sponsored by University of Management and Technology Sialkot Pakistan. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 45 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-26.
Sponsored by University of Management and Technology Sialkot Pakistan · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This randomized clinical trial will compare the effectiveness of ERGON Therapy combined with Muscle Energy Technique (MET) versus ERGON Therapy alone in patients with mechanical neck pain. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups. Both groups will receive conventional physiotherapy consisting of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), hot pack application, and cervical stretching exercises. The study will evaluate changes in pain intensity, cervical range of motion, and functional disability. The findings are expected to provide evidence regarding the added benefit of MET when combined with ERGON Therapy in the management of mechanical neck pain.
Mechanical neck pain is a common musculoskeletal condition that can adversely affect daily activities, work productivity, and quality of life. Various manual therapy approaches have been used to manage neck pain, including Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) techniques such as ERGON Therapy and Muscle Energy Technique (MET). However, limited evidence exists regarding the comparative effectiveness of ERGON Therapy with and without MET in individuals with mechanical neck pain.
This randomized clinical trial will recruit 42 participants diagnosed with mechanical neck pain. Eligible participants will be randomly allocated into two groups. Group A will receive ERGON Therapy in combination with Muscle Energy Technique, while Group B will receive ERGON Therapy alone. In addition, both groups will receive a standardized conventional physiotherapy program consisting of TENS, hot pack application, and cervical stretching exercises.
The intervention period will be conducted according to a predefined treatment protocol. Outcome measures will include pain intensity assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), cervical range of motion measured using appropriate clinical tools, and functional disability assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI). Assessments will be performed at baseline and after completion of the intervention period.
The primary objective of the study will be to determine whether the addition of Muscle Energy Technique to ERGON Therapy provides superior improvements in pain reduction, cervical mobility, and functional disability compared with ERGON Therapy alone. The results of this trial are expected to contribute to evidence-based rehabilitation strategies for the management of mechanical neck pain.
515 studies on the registry are indexed under Musculoskeletal Pain; 127 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 42 is below the median of 70 across 370 interventional studies indexed under Musculoskeletal Pain.
Browse Musculoskeletal Pain studies →University of Management and Technology Sialkot Pakistan is the lead sponsor of 8 studies on the registry; 6 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
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.
Individuals clinically diagnosed with mechanical neck pain Duration of neck pain of at least 2 weeks Willingness to participate and provide written
Exclusion Criteria:
History of cervical spine surgery within the past 12 months History of trauma or infection in the cervical region Presence of neurological deficits or cervical radiculopathy Presence of systemic disorders affecting musculoskeletal function Any other musculoskeletal deformity or significant disability affecting the neck region
-
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
ERGON Therapy combined with Muscle Energy Technique plus conventional physiotherapy including TENS, hot pack application, and cervical stretching exercises.
Other: Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (ERGON Technique) Muscle Energy Technique Conventional Physiotherapy
ERGON Therapy alone plus conventional physiotherapy including TENS, hot pack application, and cervical stretching exercises.
Other: Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (ERGON Technique) Conventional Physiotherapy
Participants in the experimental group will receive Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization using ERGON technique combined with Muscle Energy Technique. ERGON therapy will be applied to cervical soft tissues to improve tissue mobility and reduce pain. Muscle Energy Technique will be used to facilitate joint mobility and reduce muscular tightness. In addition, participants will receive conventional physiotherapy including Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), hot pack application, and cervical stretching exercises.
Also known as: TENS, Hot Pack, Cervical Stretching
Participants in the comparator group will receive Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization using ERGON technique alone. ERGON therapy will be applied to cervical soft tissues to improve tissue mobility and reduce pain. In addition, participants will receive the same conventional physiotherapy protocol including Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), hot pack application, and cervical stretching exercises.
Also known as: TENS, Hot Pack, Cervical Stretching
Pain Intensity (NPRS)
Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (0-10), where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates worst possible pain.
Time frame: Baseline and after completion of 6 treatment sessions (2 weeks)
Cervical Range of Motion (CROM)
Cervical range of motion refers to the measurement of movement of the cervical spine in different planes, including flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation. It reflects neck mobility and functional joint movement and will be assessed using standard clinical methods at baseline and post-intervention.
Time frame: Baseline and after completion of 6 treatment sessions over 2 weeks
Functional Disability (Neck Disability Index - NDI)
Functional disability related to mechanical neck pain will be assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI). The questionnaire measures the impact of neck pain on activities of daily living, including personal care, lifting, reading, work, and concentration. Higher scores indicate greater disability.
Time frame: Baseline and after completion of 6 treatment sessions over 2 weeks
Plan to share: Yes — De-identified individual participant data including baseline characteristics (age, gender), pain scores (Numeric Pain Rating Scale), cervical range of motion measurements, and Neck Disability Index scores will be shared. No personal identifiers such as names, contact details, or hospital record numbers will be included.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan, Informed consent form
Time frame: IPD will be available beginning 6 months after study completion and will remain available for 5 years after study completion.
Access criteria: De-identified individual participant data including baseline characteristics (age, gender), pain scores (Numeric Pain Rating Scale), cervical range of motion measurements, and Neck Disability Index scores will be shared. No personally identifiable information such as names, contact numbers, or hospital identification numbers will be included. Supporting study documents such as study protocol and data collection forms may also be made available.
Data sharing details ↗ · skt.umt.edu.pk
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Dec 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jul 2026, 7 months after the start.
Of 224 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Musculoskeletal Pain, half reached primary completion within 13 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 34. This study's planned 7 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 237 studies reached it within 13 months; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 32.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Jun 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
University of Management and Technology Sialkot Pakistan