Manual Therapy Force Perception Scale

The objective of this observational study is to pilot a scale designed to assist clinicians in evaluating the force they perceive during manual therapy.

The main question it aims to answer is:

- Are clinicians able to evaluate the force they use when delivering manual therapies to their patients using a scale?

For the pilot test, licensed chiropractors administer manual therapies on a manikin.

Completed

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Key information

Conditions

Manual Therapy

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Trois-Rivières, Quebec, G8Z 4M3, Canada

About this study

The aim of this observational study is to pilot test an ordinal scale (the Manual Therapy Force Perception [MTFP] scale) intended to enable clinicians to assign ordinal rankings to their patients based on their perception of the force they applied during manual therapy . This involved evaluating the agreement between the force applied by clinicians during spinal manipulations and mobilizations delivered on a manikin and their subjective perception of force, as determined using the MTFP scale. Additionally, the pilot study aimed to seek feedback on the MTFP scale from clinicians who are its potential users.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Licensed chiropractors with a private practice within the province of Quebec, Canada.

Exclusion criteria

Having a condition that prevents the execution of approximately 50 manual therapies over a 1-hour period.

Treatment and study plan

Manual therapy

Other

A manual force will be applied to a manikin positioned on a chiropractic treatment table. The force exerted during the manual therapy must align with the trial label indicated on the Manual Therapy Force Perception [MTFP] scale.

Primary outcomes

Peak force measured by a force sensor during the manual therapy

Time frame: During the manual therapy

The therapy will be delivered on a force sensor (Loadpad(R)) which will measured the force applied. The peak force reached during the therapy will be extracted.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Development and Pre-testing of a Manual Therapy Force Perception Scale

Important dates

Study start: 2024
Primary completion: 2024
Study completion: 2024
First posted: May 28, 2024
Registry last updated: Jul 22, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed