Postpartum Neck DysfunctionNCT07261605
Clinical and Electromyographic Effect of Tui Na Massage Versus Positional Release on Postpartum Neck Dysfunction
A study testing postural correction exercises, Tui-Na massage and positional release in people with Postpartum Neck Dysfunction, run by October 6 University at 1 site in Egypt.
Trial summary
To investigate the effects of Tui- Na massage versus Positional release technique on neck pain intensity, neck disability, and electromyographic characteristics of upper trapezius muscle. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 to 40 years, women only
- Conditions the study is for
- Postpartum Neck Dysfunction
- What is being tested?
- postural correction exercises, Tui-Na massage and positional release
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 1 siteEgypt
- Study dates
- 20 Dec 2025to 1 Apr 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 20 to 40 years
- Women only
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- age ranged from 20- 40 years
- had post partum cervical pain
- score above 15 in the neck disability index (NDI
Who cannot join
- Patients with structural, inflammatory, infectious, metabolic, congenital, traumatic spinal disorders and spinal or upper limb surgery.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Clinical and Electromyographic Effect of Tui Na Massage Versus Positional Release on Postpartum Neck Dysfunction A Randomized Clinical Trial
To investigate the effects of Tui- Na massage versus Positional release technique on neck pain intensity, neck disability, and electromyographic characteristics of upper trapezius muscle.
Read the detailed description
Positional release technique
- Conditions
- Postpartum Neck Dysfunction
- Being tested
- postural correction exercises, Tui-Na massage, positional release
- Keywords
- electromyographic, Tui-Na massage, positional release, postpartum neck dysfunction
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
postural correction exercisesProcedure or surgery
A combination of yoga, stretching, and strengthening exercises may help you to fix or correct your posture over time.
Maintaining good posture is important for helping you develop strength, flexibility, and balance.
Tui-Na massageProcedure or surgery
Tuina massage is similar to acupuncture in that it targets specific acupoints, but practitioners use fingers instead of needles to apply pressure to stimulate these points. Tuina massage is often used in combination with acupuncture.
positional releaseProcedure or surgery
is a passive manual manipulation method used to alleviate musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| postural correction | Experimental | 20 patients: will receive postural correction exercises program only. Receives: Procedure: postural correction exercises |
| Tui NA massage | Experimental | 20 patients: will receive postural correction exercises program. In addition, an experienced therapist will apply the Tui Na massage to the cervical region Receives: Procedure: Tui-Na massage |
| Positional release | Experimental | 20 patients: will receive postural correction exercises program. In addition, the therapist put the patient in a comfortable posture for ninety seconds, after which they passively will be moved back to their initial positions Receives: Procedure: positional release |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
visual analogue scale
10 cm horizontal line anchored by and it is a line score from zero to ten which 10 score means it is the worse of pain and zero score means the least pain ""no pain"" on the leftand ""worst imaginable pain"" on the right). Patients indicate their pain intensity by marking on the point at the line that reflect their pain
Measured: 4 week
Neck disability index
It includes 10 questions of which 7 examine functional activities, 2 ask about symptoms and a question considers concentration.
Each Patient will circle one of the six options describing the severity of each item (0 5). total score for the questionnaire out of 50. Higher scores represent greater disability.
Measured: 4 weeks
Electromyography
used for measuring upper trapezius normalized Root mean square to indicate muscular activities and median frequence to indicate muscular fatigue. Active electrode will be located 2 cm lateral to the midpoint of a line drawn between C7 spinous process and the posterolateral acromion while the reference one will be located over the C7 spinous process.
Measured: 4 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Dec 2025
- Study start20 Dec 2025
- Primary completion25 Mar 2026
- Study completion1 Apr 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Postpartum Neck DysfunctionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- October 6 University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Kerolous Ishak Shehata, October 6 University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07261605
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PT.BU.EC.20
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 22 Nov 2025
- Last updated
- 1 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Elabd AM, Marwan YN, Elabd OM, Mansour WT, Elimy DA, Ali ZA, Moustafa EB, Allam NM, Kelini KI. Clinical and Electromyographic Effect of Tui-Na Massage Versus Positional Release on Postpartum Neck Dysfunction: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Physiother Res Int. 2026 Oct;31(4):e70313. doi: 10.1002/pri.70313.
PubMed 42566253
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Clinical and Electromyographic Effect of Tui Na Massage Versus Positional Release on Postpartum Neck Dysfunction A Randomized Clinical Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07261605
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PT.BU.EC.20
- Conditions
- Postpartum Neck Dysfunction
- Keywords
- electromyographic, Tui-Na massage, positional release, postpartum neck dysfunction
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- October 6 UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 20 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 25 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Apr 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 3 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
To investigate the effects of Tui- Na massage versus Positional release technique on neck pain intensity, neck disability, and electromyographic characteristics of upper trapezius muscle.
Detailed description
Positional release technique
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| postural correction | Experimental | Procedure: postural correction exercises20 patients: will receive postural correction exercises program only. |
| Tui NA massage | Experimental | Procedure: Tui-Na massage20 patients: will receive postural correction exercises program. In addition, an experienced therapist will apply the Tui Na massage to the cervical region |
| Positional release | Experimental | Procedure: positional release20 patients: will receive postural correction exercises program. In addition, the therapist put the patient in a comfortable posture for ninety seconds, after which they passively will be moved back to their initial positions |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 to 40 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- age ranged from 20- 40 years
- had post partum cervical pain
- score above 15 in the neck disability index (NDI
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Patients with structural, inflammatory, infectious, metabolic, congenital, traumatic spinal disorders and spinal or upper limb surgery.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| postural correction exercisesA combination of yoga, stretching, and strengthening exercises may help you to fix or correct your posture over time. Maintaining good posture is important for helping you develop strength, flexibility, and balance. | Procedure or surgery | postural correction |
| Tui-Na massageTuina massage is similar to acupuncture in that it targets specific acupoints, but practitioners use fingers instead of needles to apply pressure to stimulate these points. Tuina massage is often used in combination with acupuncture. | Procedure or surgery | Tui NA massage |
| positional releaseis a passive manual manipulation method used to alleviate musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. | Procedure or surgery | Positional release |
Primary outcome
visual analogue scale
Time frame: 4 week
10 cm horizontal line anchored by and it is a line score from zero to ten which 10 score means it is the worse of pain and zero score means the least pain ""no pain"" on the leftand ""worst imaginable pain"" on the right). Patients indicate their pain intensity by marking on the point at the line that reflect their pain
Neck disability index
Time frame: 4 weeks
It includes 10 questions of which 7 examine functional activities, 2 ask about symptoms and a question considers concentration. Each Patient will circle one of the six options describing the severity of each item (0 5). total score for the questionnaire out of 50. Higher scores represent greater disability.
Electromyography
Time frame: 4 weeks
used for measuring upper trapezius normalized Root mean square to indicate muscular activities and median frequence to indicate muscular fatigue. Active electrode will be located 2 cm lateral to the midpoint of a line drawn between C7 spinous process and the posterolateral acromion while the reference one will be located over the C7 spinous process.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 May 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42566253Elabd AM, Marwan YN, Elabd OM, Mansour WT, Elimy DA, Ali ZA, Moustafa EB, Allam NM, Kelini KI. Clinical and Electromyographic Effect of Tui-Na Massage Versus Positional Release on Postpartum Neck Dysfunction: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Physiother Res Int. 2026 Oct;31(4):e70313. doi: 10.1002/pri.70313.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing postural correction exercises, Tui-Na massage and positional release in people with Postpartum Neck Dysfunction, run by October 6 University at 1 site in Egypt.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Egypt. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
visual analogue scale (time frame: 4 week). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07261605, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 May 2026.