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Iliopsoas Counterstrain and Mechanical Chronic Low Back Pain

CompletedNot applicableNCT06748859
View the official record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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This study has no listed site in Canada in this snapshot. It is included as part of the worldwide chronic pain corpus.

Brief summary (from the registry)

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of the Strain-Counterstrain (SCS) technique on alleviating sudden and mechanical chronic low back pain and resolving limited lumbar flexion and extension in individuals with mechanical chronic low back pain (MCLBP), focusing on tender points in the Iliopsoas muscle. Our study is a randomized controlled trial. Based on sample size calculation, 32 voluntary patients with chronic mechanical low back pain will be recruited to the study. They will be then randomized into two groups using the Block Balanced Randomization method. In the control group, consisting of 16 participants, 4 general exercises aimed at relieving back pain will be performed under the physical therapist's supervision. In the treatment group, also comprising 16 participants, after performing the exercises applied to the control group, the SCS technique will be applied to the tender points in the iliopsoas muscle: 90 seconds in a position of comfort, with 30-second intervals, 3 times on the more tender side and 2 times on the less tender side. The assessment of the cases will use the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain intensity at rest and during lumbar flexion movement as primary outcome measurements TiltMeter© Application for joint range of motion (ROM), Modified Schober's Test (MST) for spinal mobility, Thomas test for iliopsoas muscle length, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for stability, and 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) for health-related quality of life. Assessments will be conducted before treatment, at the end of the 1st session, and at the end of the treatment (after six sessions). Significant results may reduce the burden on the healthcare system with the ease of application and low-cost advantage of the SCS technique, making treatment processes more efficient.

Study details

Official title
The Effect of Iliopsoas Strain-counterstrain Technique on Mechanical Chronic Low Back Pain and Lumbar Flexion Restriction
Interventions
Sponsor
Marmara University
Start date
2024-12-25
Primary completion
2025-02-23
Sex
All
Age range
from 18 Years to 60 Years
Results posted
No results posted in this snapshot
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Total sites listed
1

Eligibility criteria

Show eligibility criteria (verbatim from the registry)
Inclusion criteria: 1. Patients with chronic mechanical low back pain (CMLBP) aged between 18-60 years old; 2. Pain experience more than 12 weeks; 3. Pain intensity ≥ 3 based on Numeric pain scale; 4. Pain experience during lumbar flexion movement; 5. Positive Thomas test; 6. Having tenderness on Psoas major muscle 4 times more than palpation on ipsilateral quadratus lumborum muscle; 7. Able to understand and make communication with research team without any barrier; 8. Having consent to participate the study. Non-inclusion criteria: 1. Pregnancy; 2. Not indicated for lumbar surgery based on diagnosis of a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, 3. Any type of fracture or history of trauma which makes manual therapy contraindicated for the patient, Exclusion criteria: 1. Willing to discontinue the study progress for any reason; 2. Progressive deterioration during the study and intervention application.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov (US National Library of Medicine), snapshot October 2026. Check the registry for current recruiting status. Record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06748859