TECAR TherapyNCT07825298
TECAR Therapy and Chronic Low Back Pain
A study testing TECAR therapy in people with TECAR Therapy and Low Back Pain, run by Cairo University at 1 site in Saudi Arabia.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether adding TECAR therapy to traditional physiotherapy is more effective than traditional physiotherapy alone for reducing pain and functional disability and improving physical performance in adults with chronic low back pain. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 45 years
- Conditions the study is for
- TECAR Therapy, Low Back Pain
- What is being tested?
- TECAR therapy
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSaudi Arabia
- Study dates
- 20 Oct 2026to 20 Aug 2027
- 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 18 to 45 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- localised pain between the 12th rib and the gluteal fold
- low back pain for more than three months
Who cannot join
- neuropathic pain extending along the lower limb
- previous spine surgery
- history of spine trauma or fracture,
- implanted pacemakers.
- pregnancy
- cancer
Show all 9Show fewer
- systemic musculoskeletal diseases,
- neurodegenerative diseases.
- epilepsy
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Saudi Arabia1 site
Batterjee Medical college
Jeddah, 21442
Olfat Ibrahim Ali, Professor, 0548760358, olfat.sayed@bmc.edu.sa
Ali O Selim, Professor, 0547923716, aliselim.as@gmail.com
About this study
Official title: Effect of TECAR Therapy on Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomised Controlled Trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether adding TECAR therapy to traditional physiotherapy is more effective than traditional physiotherapy alone for reducing pain and functional disability and improving physical performance in adults with chronic low back pain.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Read more
Does adding TECAR therapy to traditional physiotherapy reduce pain intensity compared with traditional physiotherapy alone? Does adding TECAR therapy to traditional physiotherapy reduce functional disability? Does adding TECAR therapy improve core muscle endurance, back proprioception, back range of motion, and functional exercise capacity?
Participants will:
Receive 12 treatment sessions of either traditional physiotherapy with TECAR therapy or traditional physiotherapy alone.
Have their pain intensity and functional disability assessed before and after treatment.
Have their core muscle endurance, back proprioception, back range of motion, and functional exercise capacity assessed before and after treatment.
Read the detailed description
Chronic low back pain is a common musculoskeletal condition that can affect pain, daily activities, and physical function. Traditional physiotherapy is commonly used in the management of chronic low back pain; however, additional treatment approaches may be used to enhance treatment outcomes.
TECAR therapy is a non-invasive physical therapy modality that uses radiofrequency electromagnetic energy to deliver therapeutic effects to the treated tissues. It has been proposed as an adjunct to conventional physiotherapy for the management of musculoskeletal conditions.
The purpose of this clinical trial is to investigate whether adding TECAR therapy to traditional physiotherapy provides additional benefits compared with traditional physiotherapy alone in adults with chronic low back pain. The study will compare changes in clinical and physical performance outcomes between the two treatment approaches following the treatment period.
- Conditions
- TECAR Therapy, Low Back Pain
- Being tested
- Control Group, TECAR therapy
- Keywords
- Radiofrequency Therapy, TECAR Therapy, Rehabilitation, Back pain
- Medical subject headings
- Low Back Pain, Back Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Control GroupDevice
Apply sham TECAR and physical therapy programmes, including core training exercises, myofascial release, and mobilisation exercises for three sessions per week for four weeks.
TECAR therapyDevice
In addition to the programme given in the control group, the TECAR group, therapy was delivered using the TECAR device in resistive mode with a frequency of 500 kHz. A flexible, self-adhesive return electrode (10 cm × 18 cm) was placed on the abdomen as a reference electrode. The power output was gradually increased from approximately 30% to 60% of the device's maximum output (100 W), with adjustments based on patient-reported thermal feedback to ensure a consistent perception of mild to moderate warmth. Each quadrant of the lumbar region was treated for approximately 5 min, to 20 min per session
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control Group | Sham comparator | Not described Receives: Device: Control Group |
| TECAR Group | Active comparator | Not described Receives: Device: TECAR therapy |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Pain Intensity Measured Using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)
Low back pain will be measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after the treatment. VAS is a scale ranging from 0 to 10 where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates severe pain.
Measured: Baseline, after 1 week and after 12 weeks
Pain threshold measured using the pressure algometer.
Pain threshold will be measured before and after treatment using a pressure algometer.
Measured: Baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes (6)
Back range of motion measured using BROM device.
Back range of motion will be measured using BROM device before and after the treament
Measured: Baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Functional disability measured using the Oswestry Disability Index
Functional disability will be measured using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). The ODI consists of 10 items, with each item scored from 0 to 5, yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 50. The total score can also be expressed as a percentage (0-100%), with higher scores indicating greater disability. Measurement will be done before and after the treatment.
Measured: Baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Quality of Life Measured Using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36)
Patient quality of life will be assessed using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) before and after treatment. The SF-36 consists of 36 items covering eight domains of health-related quality of life. Scores are transformed to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
Measured: Baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Core Muscle Endurance Measured Using the McGill Core Endurance Test
Core muscle endurance will be assessed using the McGill Core Endurance Test. The test evaluates the endurance of the trunk musculature through four trunk endurance tests (trunk flexor, trunk extensor, and right and left lateral flexor endurance), with performance recorded as the duration (in seconds) that the participant is able to maintain the required test position. Higher durations indicate greater core muscle endurance.
Measured: Baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Back Proprioception Measured Using the Back Range of Motion (BROM) Device
Back proprioception will be assessed using the Back Range of Motion (BROM) device. Back joint position sense will be evaluated by measuring the absolute repositioning error, expressed in degrees, between the participant's target trunk position and the position reproduced after returning to the starting position. Lower repositioning error indicates better back proprioceptive accuracy.
Measured: Baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Aerobic Capacity Measured Using the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)
Aerobic capacity will be assessed using the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT). The distance walked during the 6-minute test will be recorded in metres, with a greater distance indicating better functional exercise capacity.
Measured: baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted17 Sep 2026
- Study start20 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion20 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion20 Aug 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for TECAR TherapyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Cairo UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Cairo University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Human TECAR, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Batterjee Medical College
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Olfat Ibrahim Ali, Cairo University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07825298
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- RES-2026-051
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 9 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 17 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effect of TECAR Therapy on Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomised Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07825298
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- RES-2026-051
- Conditions
- TECAR Therapy, Low Back Pain
- Keywords
- Radiofrequency Therapy, TECAR Therapy, Rehabilitation, Back pain
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Cairo UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Human TECAR, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Batterjee Medical College
- Study start
- 20 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 20 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 20 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 17 Sep 2026 (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.
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether adding TECAR therapy to traditional physiotherapy is more effective than traditional physiotherapy alone for reducing pain and functional disability and improving physical performance in adults with chronic low back pain.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does adding TECAR therapy to traditional physiotherapy reduce pain intensity compared with traditional physiotherapy alone? Does adding TECAR therapy to traditional physiotherapy reduce functional disability? Does adding TECAR therapy improve core muscle endurance, back proprioception, back range of motion, and functional exercise capacity?
Participants will:
Receive 12 treatment sessions of either traditional physiotherapy with TECAR therapy or traditional physiotherapy alone.
Have their pain intensity and functional disability assessed before and after treatment.
Have their core muscle endurance, back proprioception, back range of motion, and functional exercise capacity assessed before and after treatment.
Detailed description
Chronic low back pain is a common musculoskeletal condition that can affect pain, daily activities, and physical function. Traditional physiotherapy is commonly used in the management of chronic low back pain; however, additional treatment approaches may be used to enhance treatment outcomes.
TECAR therapy is a non-invasive physical therapy modality that uses radiofrequency electromagnetic energy to deliver therapeutic effects to the treated tissues. It has been proposed as an adjunct to conventional physiotherapy for the management of musculoskeletal conditions.
The purpose of this clinical trial is to investigate whether adding TECAR therapy to traditional physiotherapy provides additional benefits compared with traditional physiotherapy alone in adults with chronic low back pain. The study will compare changes in clinical and physical performance outcomes between the two treatment approaches following the treatment period.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control Group | Sham comparator | Device: Control Group |
| TECAR Group | Active comparator | Device: TECAR therapy |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 45 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- localised pain between the 12th rib and the gluteal fold
- low back pain for more than three months
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- neuropathic pain extending along the lower limb
- previous spine surgery
- history of spine trauma or fracture,
- implanted pacemakers.
- pregnancy
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Control GroupApply sham TECAR and physical therapy programmes, including core training exercises, myofascial release, and mobilisation exercises for three sessions per week for four weeks. | Device | Control Group |
| TECAR therapyIn addition to the programme given in the control group, the TECAR group, therapy was delivered using the TECAR device in resistive mode with a frequency of 500 kHz. A flexible, self-adhesive return electrode (10 cm × 18 cm) was placed on the abdomen as a reference electrode. The power output was gradually increased from approximately 30% to 60% of the device's maximum output (100 W), with adjustments based on patient-reported thermal feedback to ensure a consistent perception of mild to moderate warmth. Each quadrant of the lumbar region was treated for approximately 5 min, to 20 min per session | Device | TECAR Group |
Primary outcome
Pain Intensity Measured Using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)
Time frame: Baseline, after 1 week and after 12 weeks
Low back pain will be measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after the treatment. VAS is a scale ranging from 0 to 10 where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates severe pain.
Pain threshold measured using the pressure algometer.
Time frame: Baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Pain threshold will be measured before and after treatment using a pressure algometer.
6 secondary outcomes
Back range of motion measured using BROM device.
Time frame: Baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Functional disability measured using the Oswestry Disability Index
Time frame: Baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Quality of Life Measured Using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36)
Time frame: Baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Core Muscle Endurance Measured Using the McGill Core Endurance Test
Time frame: Baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Back Proprioception Measured Using the Back Range of Motion (BROM) Device
Time frame: Baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Aerobic Capacity Measured Using the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)
Time frame: baseline, 1 week and after 12 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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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.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing TECAR therapy in people with TECAR Therapy and Low Back Pain, run by Cairo University at 1 site in Saudi Arabia.
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 2 inclusion and 9 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 17 Sep 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 Saudi Arabia. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Pain Intensity Measured Using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (time frame: Baseline, after 1 week and after 12 weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 17 Sep 2026.