Neck PainNCT07907874
The Effect of Tecar Therapy in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain
A study testing Tecar therapy in people with Neck Pain and Signs and Symptoms, run by Ankara City Hospital Bilkent at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
Neck pain is a highly prevalent musculoskeletal disorder. Alongside pharmacological treatments, evidence supports the efficacy of physical therapy modalities and exercise in managing chronic neck pain. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Neck Pain, Signs and Symptoms, Disability Physical
- What is being tested?
- Tecar therapy
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 59 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 10 May 2023to 25 Jun 2024
- 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 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Ages 18-65, neck pain persisting for 3 months or longer, restricted movement, complaints of difficulty in daily living activities, and possession of cognitive ability.
Who cannot join
- Signs/symptoms of myelopathy, other neck/upper extremity diseases, history of neck trauma or cervical surgery, history of rheumatologic disease, neurological disease, diabetes, or cancer, presence of active infection, pregnancy, presence of a cardiac pacemaker, oral corticosteroid use, injection to the cervical region within the last 3 months, physical therapy applied to the neck within the last 6 months, presence of advanced degeneration on imaging.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Tecar Therapy on Pain, Disability, Kinesiophobia, and Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain
Neck pain is a highly prevalent musculoskeletal disorder. Alongside pharmacological treatments, evidence supports the efficacy of physical therapy modalities and exercise in managing chronic neck pain. Ultrasound (US) is a well-established physical therapy modality that delivers ultrasonic sound waves to target tissues. More recently, TECAR (Transfer of Energy Capacitive and Resistive) therapy has gained traction as an innovative clinical application; it operates as an endogenous thermotherapy designed to heat both superficial and deep tissues. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the effects of conventional physical therapy and the increasingly adopted TECAR therapy on pain, disability, quality of life, and kinesiophobia in patients with chronic neck pain.
Read the detailed description
Group 1: TENS, Ultrasound, and exercise will be applied. Group 2: TENS, TECAR Therapy, and exercise therapy will be applied for 10 sessions (5 days a week for 2 weeks).
The exercise program consists of range of motion exercises, strengthening exercises, balance-coordination, and posture exercises. Patients will be evaluated before treatment, and at the 1st and 3rd months post-treatment. Demographic characteristics, medical history, symptoms, and symptom characteristics will be queried; detailed neurological and musculoskeletal examinations and range of motion measurements will be performed.
The demographic characteristics, medical histories, and symptom profiles of the patients will be recorded. Subsequently, comprehensive neurological and musculoskeletal examinations, along with range of motion (ROM) measurements, will be performed. Hand grip strength will be measured using a hand dynamometer. Clinical assessments will include the evaluation of pain intensity using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), cervical posture via the C7-to-wall distance, neck disability through the Neck Disability Index, quality of life using the Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living scale, and kinesiophobia with the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia .
- Conditions
- Neck Pain, Signs and Symptoms, Disability Physical
- Being tested
- Tecar therapy
- Keywords
- neck pain, TECAR, physical therapy
- Medical subject headings
- Neck Pain, Signs and Symptoms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Tecar therapyDevice
Also called Ultrasound
Patients in the conventional physical therapy group received therapeutic ultrasound (US) applied to the cervical region. The US was administered at an intensity of 1.5 W/cm² in continuous mode. The treatment protocol was performed five days a week for a total of 10 sessions. Tecar therapy application will be applied to the muscle groups in the neck region at a fixed frequency of 0.448 Mhz for 10 minutes five days a week for a total of 10 sessions.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Tecar therapy | Experimental | Tecar therapy application will be applied to the muscle groups in the neck region at a fixed frequency of 0.448 Mhz for 10 minutes five days a week for a total of 10 sessions Receives: Device: Tecar therapy |
| Ultrasound | Active comparator | Patients in the conventional physical therapy group received therapeutic ultrasound (US) applied to the cervical region. The US was administered at an intensity of 1.5 W/cm² in continuous mode. The treatment protocol was performed five days a week for a total of 10 sessions Receives: Device: Tecar therapy |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Neck Disability İndex
scale used for pain assessment consisting of a 10 cm horizontal or vertical line. '0' represents no pain, and '10' represents the worst pain experienced.
Measured: 0-12 weeks
Cervical Range of Motion with goniometer
Active cervical range of motion (ROM), including flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation, was measured using a universal goniometer.
Measured: 0-12 weeks
Secondary outcomes (3)
Neck Disability Index
The NDI includes a total of 10 questions such as pain, personal care, concentration, work, driving, and sleeping. Each question is scored between 0 and 5 points. A score of 0 means no restriction, and a score of 50 means full restriction.
Measured: 0-12 week
Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale
The scale uses a 4-point Likert scale (1= I strongly disagree, 4= I strongly agree). A total score is calculated after reversing items 4, 8, 12, and 16. The person receives a total score between 17-68.
Measured: 0-12 week
Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living Scale
Contains four sub-sections: mobility (6 items), kitchen (5 items), domestic tasks (5 items), and leisure activities (6 items). Scoring: 0 (Cannot do at all), 1 (Do with help), 2 (Do alone with difficulty), 3 (Do alone easily). Total score ranges from 0-66.
Measured: 0-12 week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Oct 2026
- Study start10 May 2023
- Primary completion10 Dec 2023
- Study completion25 Jun 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Neck PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Ankara City Hospital BilkentThe 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
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 59 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Ankara City Hospital Bilkent
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Refiye Önal, Ankara City Hospital Bilkent
- Investigators
- Sevgi Atalay, Study chair, Ankara City Hospital Bilkent
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07907874
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 00000000000000000000E2-22-2203
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 26 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 30 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Tecar Therapy on Pain, Disability, Kinesiophobia, and Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07907874
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 00000000000000000000E2-22-2203
- Conditions
- Neck Pain, Signs and Symptoms, Disability Physical
- Keywords
- neck pain, TECAR, physical therapy
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 59 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Ankara City Hospital BilkentUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 10 May 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 10 Dec 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 25 Jun 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 30 Oct 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.
Neck pain is a highly prevalent musculoskeletal disorder. Alongside pharmacological treatments, evidence supports the efficacy of physical therapy modalities and exercise in managing chronic neck pain. Ultrasound (US) is a well-established physical therapy modality that delivers ultrasonic sound waves to target tissues. More recently, TECAR (Transfer of Energy Capacitive and Resistive) therapy has gained traction as an innovative clinical application; it operates as an endogenous thermotherapy designed to heat both superficial and deep tissues. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the effects of conventional physical therapy and the increasingly adopted TECAR therapy on pain, disability, quality of life, and kinesiophobia in patients with chronic neck pain.
Detailed description
Group 1: TENS, Ultrasound, and exercise will be applied. Group 2: TENS, TECAR Therapy, and exercise therapy will be applied for 10 sessions (5 days a week for 2 weeks).
The exercise program consists of range of motion exercises, strengthening exercises, balance-coordination, and posture exercises. Patients will be evaluated before treatment, and at the 1st and 3rd months post-treatment. Demographic characteristics, medical history, symptoms, and symptom characteristics will be queried; detailed neurological and musculoskeletal examinations and range of motion measurements will be performed.
The demographic characteristics, medical histories, and symptom profiles of the patients will be recorded. Subsequently, comprehensive neurological and musculoskeletal examinations, along with range of motion (ROM) measurements, will be performed. Hand grip strength will be measured using a hand dynamometer. Clinical assessments will include the evaluation of pain intensity using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), cervical posture via the C7-to-wall distance, neck disability through the Neck Disability Index, quality of life using the Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living scale, and kinesiophobia with the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia .
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Tecar therapy | Experimental | Device: Tecar therapyTecar therapy application will be applied to the muscle groups in the neck region at a fixed frequency of 0.448 Mhz for 10 minutes five days a week for a total of 10 sessions |
| Ultrasound | Active comparator | Device: Tecar therapyPatients in the conventional physical therapy group received therapeutic ultrasound (US) applied to the cervical region. The US was administered at an intensity of 1.5 W/cm² in continuous mode. The treatment protocol was performed five days a week for a total of 10 sessions |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Ages 18-65, neck pain persisting for 3 months or longer, restricted movement, complaints of difficulty in daily living activities, and possession of cognitive ability.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Signs/symptoms of myelopathy, other neck/upper extremity diseases, history of neck trauma or cervical surgery, history of rheumatologic disease, neurological disease, diabetes, or cancer, presence of active infection, pregnancy, presence of a cardiac pacemaker, oral corticosteroid use, injection to the cervical region within the last 3 months, physical therapy applied to the neck within the last 6 months, presence of advanced degeneration on imaging.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tecar therapyAlso: UltrasoundPatients in the conventional physical therapy group received therapeutic ultrasound (US) applied to the cervical region. The US was administered at an intensity of 1.5 W/cm² in continuous mode. The treatment protocol was performed five days a week for a total of 10 sessions. Tecar therapy application will be applied to the muscle groups in the neck region at a fixed frequency of 0.448 Mhz for 10 minutes five days a week for a total of 10 sessions. | Device | Tecar therapy, Ultrasound |
Primary outcome
Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Neck Disability İndex
Time frame: 0-12 weeks
scale used for pain assessment consisting of a 10 cm horizontal or vertical line. '0' represents no pain, and '10' represents the worst pain experienced.
Cervical Range of Motion with goniometer
Time frame: 0-12 weeks
Active cervical range of motion (ROM), including flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation, was measured using a universal goniometer.
3 secondary outcomes
Neck Disability Index
Time frame: 0-12 week
Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale
Time frame: 0-12 week
Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living Scale
Time frame: 0-12 week
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 30 Oct 2026.
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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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Sevgi Atalay study chair
Ankara City Hospital Bilkent
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 Neck Pain and Signs and Symptoms, run by Ankara City Hospital Bilkent at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
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 1 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 30 Oct 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 Turkey (Türkiye). 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 Analog Scale (VAS) Neck Disability İndex (time frame: 0-12 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 30 Oct 2026.