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NCT Number: NCT07449819

Neural Mobilization to Improve Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Older Adults

The goal of this clinical trial is to discover whether performing active neural mobilization exercises works to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain in older adults. The main question it aims to answer is:

Can an active neural mobilization program improve pain intensity and functional capacity?

Participants will:

* Perform active neural mobilization exercises for 8 weeks (twice a week), under the in-person supervision of a physiotherapist; * Visit the clinic twice a week for 9 to 12 weeks for consultations, examinations, and symptom monitoring; * Keep a diary of their symptoms and frequency of analgesic use.

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This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

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Key information

Conditions

Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Age range

60 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro (Portugal)

Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or older
  • People with chronic musculoskeletal pain

Exclusion criteria

  • Individuals undergoing surgery in the last 3 months
  • Individuals diagnosed with dementia, cancer, thrombosis, or central nervous system injury (e.g., stroke);
  • Individuals who are receiving another physiotherapy intervention
  • Individuals who do not understand the Portuguese language
  • Individuals with mild cognitive impairment

Treatment and study plan

Active Neural Mobilization Exercises

Other

Participants will actively perform neural mobilization exercises for the upper and lower limbs, as well as spinal structures.

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain diary

    Time frame: Every day (until the end of the study) - from week 1 to week 21

    Participants will be asked to complete a daily "pain diary," recording:

    • Average pain intensity that day (numerical scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents "no pain" and 10 represents "the worst pain imaginable");
    • Pain-related interference that day (numerical scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents "no interference" and 10 represents "maximum interference");
    • Medication used for pain.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Pain distribution

    Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)

    A body chart to record the location and distribution of pain.

  2. Neuropathic pain components

    Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)

    painDETECT questionnaire - The instrument consists of 4 sections related to: (1) pain intensity in the last 4 weeks; (2) the pain pattern; (3) regions of pain; and (4) presence of neuropathic descriptors. The total score is obtained by adding the scores of the last 3 sections and can vary from 1 to 38. Scores ≤ 12 = the neuropathic mechanism is very unlikely to be present (predominance of the nociceptive mechanism); Scores ≥ 19 = there is a high probability of a predominant neuropathic mechanism; Scores > 12 and < 19 = the presence of a mixed component.

  3. Pain Catastrophizing

    Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)

    Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) - The instrument has 13 items subdivided into three different subscales: helplessness (items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 12); magnification (items 6, 7, and 13); and rumination (items 8, 9, 10, and 11). All subscales are evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale, from 0 (not at all) to 4 (all the time), where higher scores represent a greater level of catastrophizing.

  4. Kinesiophobia

    Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)

    Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia - The instrument comprises 13 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale, as follows: (1) strongly disagree; (2) somewhat disagree; (3) somewhat agree; (4) strongly agree. The higher the score, the greater the fear perceived during the execution of the movement.

  5. Signs and symptoms of hypersensitivity of the nervous system

    Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)

    Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) - It assesses common symptoms and facilitating factors for hypersensitivity of the nervous system in 25 items. The patient scores each response on a scale from 0 (never) to 4 (always). The final score is obtained by summing the scores of the individual items and can range from 0 to 100, where higher scores mean a worse outcome.

  6. Balance

    Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)

    Functional Reach Test

  7. Lower Limb Strength

    Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)

    Five Times Sit to Stand Test

  8. Grip Strength

    Time frame: Three assessment points: 1) Baseline 2) At the end of the intervention program 3) At the end of the study (week 21)

    Hand-held dynamometer

  9. Range of motion of wrist extension and tibiotarsal movements

    Time frame: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.

    Measured with a manual goniometer

  10. Excursion of the median and fibular nerves

    Time frame: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.

    Measured by ultrasound

  11. Pressure Pain Threshold measured in three different sites (thenar region of the hand; dorsum of foot; region of greatest pain)

    Time frame: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.

    Measured with an algometer

  12. Q-sense - Cold and Warm Perception Threshold (thenar region of the hand; dorsum of foot; region of greatest pain)

    Time frame: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.

    It will be assessed using a portable quantitative sensory testing device capable of assessing peripheral sensory nerve function using hot and cold thermal sensory thresholds (Q-sense, Medoc).

  13. Q-sense - Heat Pain Threshold (thenar region of the hand; dorsum of foot; region of greatest pain)

    Time frame: Measured from week 1 to week 9-12 (twice a week). Considering that participants will have different baseline durations and the same intervention duration (8 weeks), the assessment of this outcome can be done up to week 9, 10, 11, or 12.

    It will be assessed using a portable quantitative sensory testing device capable of assessing peripheral sensory nerve function (Q-sense, Medoc).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Aveiro University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Neural Mobilization in the Treatment of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Older Adults: A Single-Case Experimental Design Study.

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Mar 4, 2026
Registry last updated
Apr 3, 2026

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.

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