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Non Specific Chronic Neck PainNCT07724600

Effects of Active Release Technique Versus Stecco Facial Manipulation in Patient With Chronic Non-specific Neck Pain

A study testing Active Release Technique and STECCO Method in people with Non Specific Chronic Neck Pain, run by Riphah International University.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Non-specific pain that originates from the superior nuchal line and extends to the first thoracic vertebrae. It is exacerbated by sustained neck postures, neck movements or cervical muscle palpation. Neck pain is a work-related musculoskeletal disease that can arise during prolonged or high-intensity activity. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 20 to 40 years
Conditions the study is for
Non Specific Chronic Neck Pain
What is being tested?
Active Release Technique and STECCO Method
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
48 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
Jul 2026to 30 Dec 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Individuals of both genders
  • Age between 20-40yrs(19).
  • Neck pain persisting for more than 3 months
  • Neck Disability Index (NDI) score between 10-30) (20).

Who cannot join

  • Patients with history of trauma or surgery were excluded.
  • Cervical pain patients with radiculopathy were excluded.
  • Patients diagnosed cases of rheumatoid arthritis, or any systemic musculoskeletal disorders were excluded.
  • Patients use of muscle relaxants or undergoing any other physiotherapy for neck issues in the past 3 months were excluded.
  • Patients with cervical disc herniation or whiplash injuries were excluded.
  • Pregnancy or known hormonal conditions affecting musculoskeletal system were excluded.

Trial locations and contacts

No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Sumrod Akram contact

03324806143

samrood.akram@riphah.edu.pk

About this study

Official title: Effects of Active Release Technique Versus Stecco Facial Manipulation on Pain, Craniovertebral Angle, and Functional Disability in Patients With Chronic Non-specific Neck Pain.

Non-specific pain that originates from the superior nuchal line and extends to the first thoracic vertebrae. It is exacerbated by sustained neck postures, neck movements or cervical muscle palpation. Neck pain is a work-related musculoskeletal disease that can arise during prolonged or high-intensity activity. Increasingly, individuals seek medical attention for discomfort in the neck, upper extremities, and head caused by chronic tension. Neck discomfort is often caused by mechanical dysfunction that restricts joint movement inside the joint capsule. Active Release Technique(ART) is a manual release of tight soft tissue which targets on SCM, levator scapulae, suboccipital and Upper trapezius. Stecco Fascial Manipulation is an efficient manual soft tissue treatment method that particularly address in the areas of myofascial pain and discomfort, locomotor issues, and posture dysfunction. The aim of this study is to treat the patients having chronic non specific neck pain through the Active Release Technique (ART) and Stecco Facial Manipulation and to compare their effects that can affect cervical flexibility and to improve the symptom parameters of the regarding individual.

Read the detailed description

The current study will be Randomized Clinical Trial. Inclusion criteria for this study is the individual with chronic non specific neck pain between the age group of 20-40yr. Patient with any history of trauma or surgery in cervical region and any other cervical pathology will be excluded from the study. A sample of 44 individual with CNSNP will be selected from both genders. Tools used for the Data collection will be Numeric Pain Rating Scale(NPRS), Neck Disability Index(NDI) and Goniometer. Participants will be measured before and after treatment to assess changes. Interventions are carried out 5 days in a week for one hour daily. In this study descriptive statistical tools will used to analyze the data. Data will be analyzed through SPSS version 21.

Being tested
Active Release Technique, STECCO Method
Keywords
Chronic non-specific neck pain, Functional Disability, Pain, Range of Motion, Stecco.
Medical subject headings
Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Active Release TechniqueOther

    Active release technique is a manual release of tight soft tissue that targets the upper trapezius, SCM, Levator scapulae, and sub occipital muscle to improve posture and reduce tightness and pain

  • STECCO MethodOther

    Stecco method, also known as Fascial Manipulation, is a manual therapy technique developed by Luigi Stecco, which focuses on releasing tension and restoring normal glide in the fascial system, especially where myofascial dysfunction is contributing to pain and restriction.

    Stecco method is applied specifically to the Levator scapulae, SCM, subocccipital, and upper trapezius muscles .All commonly involved in chronic non-specific neck pain.

Study groups in NCT07724600
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
GROUP A: Active Release TechniqueExperimentalGroup A will be treated with the active release technique
Receives: Other: Active Release Technique
GROUP B: Stecco MethodActive comparatorGroup B was treated with stecco method
Receives: Other: STECCO Method

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Numeric pain rate scale

    The numerical rating scale (0-10), with 0 meaning no pain, and 10 meaning the worst unbearable pain, as measurement of pain intensity.

    Measured: upto 6 weeks

Secondary outcomes (3)

  1. 2. Universal Goniometer

    Universal goniometer is a popular tool in the clinical and rehabilitation environment to determine the joint angles and evaluate the range of movement (ROM).

    Measured: upto 6 weeks

  2. Neck Disability index for functional Disability (NDI)

    The Neck Disability Index(NDI) is a questionnaire designed to assess self-rated impairment of the individuals experiencing neck discomfort. It has ten questions on most aspects of daily living, such as the severity of pain, self-care, lifting, reading, and entertainment. This Questionnaire has a reliability of 0.87.The question has six answer options (including 0 (no disability) and 5 (full impairment). The total score ranges 0 to 50 whereby higher scores are going to be a greater impairment. It may also be stated as a percentage (0 to 100%)

    Measured: upto 6 weeks

  3. Flexion Rotation Test

    Flexion Rotation Test (FRT) a physical examination instrument of specifying the rotation within the upper neck, particularly C1-C2. It helps to identify rotational, and can suggest chronic non specific neck pains or other upper cervical spine dysfunctions.

    Measured: upto 6 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted24 Jul 2026
  2. Study startJul 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion30 Nov 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion30 Dec 2026 (estimated)

Resources

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
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
48 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07724600
Sponsor's protocol ID
REC/RCR & AHS/25/0138 Fatima-N
Status last verified
Jul 2026
First submitted
21 Jul 2026
Last updated
24 Jul 2026
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Prablek M, Gadot R, Xu DS, Ropper AE. Neck Pain: Differential Diagnosis and Management. Neurol Clin. 2023 Feb;41(1):77-85. doi: 10.1016/j.ncl.2022.07.003. Epub 2022 Oct 29.

    PubMed 36400560

  • Frouzanian M, Shirdel SS, Meskar H, Shahrezaee M, Chamanara M, Ghanbarpour Juybari A, et al. Muscle Morphology and Its Role in Chronic Neck Pain: A Review Article. Translational Health Reports. 2025;1(1):1-11.

  • Al-Khazali HM, Kroll LS, Ashina H, Melo-Carrillo A, Burstein R, Amin FM, Ashina S. Neck pain and headache: Pathophysiology, treatments and future directions. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2023 Aug;66:102804. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2023.102804. Epub 2023 Jun 16.

    PubMed 37394323

  • Kaiser JT, Reddy V, Launico MV, Lugo-Pico JG. Anatomy, Head and Neck: Cervical Vertebrae. 2023 Oct 24. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539734/

    PubMed 30969556

  • Sarig-Bahat H. Evidence for exercise therapy in mechanical neck disorders. Man Ther. 2003 Feb;8(1):10-20. doi: 10.1054/math.2002.0480.

    PubMed 12586557

  • Khired Z. The Prevalence of and Factors Associated With Neck Pain Among Jazan Adult Population. Cureus. 2022 Aug 14;14(8):e28008. doi: 10.7759/cureus.28008. eCollection 2022 Aug.

    PubMed 35982755

  • Ko T, Jeong U, Lee K. Effects of the Inclusion Thoracic Mobilization into Cranio-Cervical Flexor Exercise in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain. Journal of physical therapy science. 2010;22(1):87-91.

  • Rajkumar RP. The influence of cultural and religious factors on cross-national variations in the prevalence of chronic back and neck pain: an analysis of data from the global burden of disease 2019 study. Front Pain Res (Lausanne). 2023 May 25;4:1189432. doi: 10.3389/fpain.2023.1189432. eCollection 2023.

    PubMed 37305205

  • Shah DH, Shukla YU. Effect of craniocervical flexion training in mechanical neck pain on proprioception, endurance and pain-an interventional study. 2020.

  • Kazeminasab S, Nejadghaderi SA, Amiri P, Pourfathi H, Araj-Khodaei M, Sullman MJM, Kolahi AA, Safiri S. Neck pain: global epidemiology, trends and risk factors. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022 Jan 3;23(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-04957-4.

    PubMed 34980079

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Active Release Technique and STECCO Method in people with Non Specific Chronic Neck Pain, run by Riphah International University.

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 4 inclusion and 6 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Sumrod Akram (03324806143, samrood.akram@riphah.edu.pk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Numeric pain rate scale (time frame: upto 6 weeks). 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 NCT07724600, which also lists 10 linked publications.

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 24 Jul 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 26 Oct 2026.

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