Effects of Gua Sha and Thermotherapy on Chronic Neck Pain

Neck Pain Clinical Trial

Official title:

Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Gua Sha Massage and Thermotherapy for Chronic Neck Pain: Effects on Pain Intensity, Haptic Perception and Body Image.

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01233180
• Other study ID #: 10-4434
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: November 2, 2010
• Last updated: February 22, 2011
• Start date: September 2010
• Est. completion date: February 2011

Study information

• Verified date: February 2011
• Source: Universität Duisburg-Essen
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Germany: Ethics Commission
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Gua Sha massage is a traditional chinese medical treatment. It is mostly used in the treatment of the common cold and pain syndromes. Gua Sha involves pressuring the skin by a round-edged instrument until small petechiae appear. This so called "sha", considered as the removal of blood stasis by traditional practitioners, will fade within a few days. Normally, this treatment is not considered as painful, but as relaxing and easing tense muscles.

In this study, the investigators will investigate the effectivity of Gua Sha massage in treating chronic neck pain. The investigators will research effects on subjective pain intensity, neck pain specific disability and haptic perception.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 50
• Est. completion date: February 2011
• Est. primary completion date: February 2011
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years to 75 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Chronic mechanical neck pain, at least 40 mm on a 100mm visual analog scale.

• Pain for at least 3 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

• radicular symptoms

• congenital spine deformity

• pregnancy

• rheumatic diseases

• oncologic diseases

• other severe psychiatric or somatic comorbidity

• recent invasive or surgical treatment of the spine

• participation in other studies

• skin diseases in the area to be treated

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Neck Pain

Intervention

Other:
• Gua Sha
Single Gua Sha treatment of the neck and shoulder region

Device:
• Thermotherapy
Single use of a mud heat pad on the neck and shoulder region

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Germany	Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Knappschafts-Krankenhaus, Department for Internal and Integrative Medicine	Essen	Northrhine-Westphalia

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Universität Duisburg-Essen

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Germany, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Neck pain intensity (100mm visual analog scale)		Day 4	No
Secondary	Neck disability index (NDI)	The Neck Disability Index is an instrument to assess neck pain complaints.; Reference: Vernon H, Mior S. The Neck Disability Index: a study of reliability and validity. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1991;14:409-415.	Day 4	No
Secondary	Haptic perception	The design consists of two angle legs, of which one angle leg has to be readjusted to a given angle adjustment. This is done by haptic perception without visual feedback. The deviation of the adjusted angle from the locked angle is measured.; Reference: Grunwald, M., Ettich, C., Busse, F., Assmann, B., Dähne, A., Gertz, H.-J., (2002): Angle paradigm: A new method to measure right parietal dysfunctions in anorexia nervosa. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology , 17, pp. 485- 496	Day 4	No