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Enrolling by Invitation

NCT Number: NCT07489014

The Effects of Mulligan Joint Mobilization and Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization in Individuals With Neck Pain

The study will include a total of 40 individuals aged 18-65 years with chronic neck pain for at least three months. Participants will be randomly assigned to two groups: the Mulligan mobilization group (n=20) and the AYDM group (n=20). Both groups will receive a total of 12 treatment sessions, 3 days a week for 4 weeks. Assessments will be performed before and after treatment. Pain intensity will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), cervical awareness using the Fremantle Neck Awareness Questionnaire (FNA), and functionality using the Copenhagen Neck Functional Disability Scale (CNFDS). In addition, measurements of cervical joint range of motion, deep neck flexor muscle endurance, quality of life (SF-36), and depression level (Beck Depression Scale) will be taken.

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Key information

Conditions

Neck Pain Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Istanbul Rumeli University

Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • • Volunteering to participate in the study
  • Being between 18 and 65 years of age
  • Having experienced mechanical neck pain for at least 3 months
  • Not having any contraindications for manual therapy

Exclusion criteria

  • Receiving a diagnosis of a psychiatric illness
  • Having a history of spinal surgery
  • Having other musculoskeletal problems that may affect the cervical region (such as scoliosis, shoulder pathologies, thoracic outlet syndrome)
  • Having received physiotherapy for neck and back problems within the last year.

Treatment and study plan

Instrumental Soft Tissue Mobilization

Other

The treatments will administered 3 days a week for a total of 12 sessions over 4 weeks.

Mobilization

Other

The treatments will administered 3 days a week for a total of 12 sessions over 4 weeks.

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain Intensity

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 4)

    Visual Pain Scale.Participants' pain intensity will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The Visual Analog Scale is a validated and reliable scale that quantitatively determines the intensity of pain perceived by an individual. The scale consists of a 10 cm long horizontal or vertical line, with one end of the line defined as "0 = no pain" and the other end as "10 = unbearable pain".

  2. Range of motion

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 4)

    To assess the active range of motion of the cervical joint, the tape measure method described by Hsieh et al. (1986) was used. This method is reported to be a practical and reliable measurement tool for assessing cervical range of motion in clinical practice.

  3. Cervical awareness

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 4)

    Fremantle Neck Awareness Questionnaire

  4. Copenhagen Neck Functional Disability Scale

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 4)

    Neck Functional Disability is a 15-item questionnaire. Total score(0-30) indicate higher disability

Secondary outcomes

  1. Neck flexor endurance

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 4)

    The test protocol is performed with the individual in a supine position, with knees bent and soles of feet touching the ground (hook position). Individuals are asked to comfortably position their hands on their abdominal area.

    During the procedure, the physiotherapist places their index and middle fingers overlapping under the participant's head. Participants are first instructed to pull their chin inward and downward (chin-tuck) and, while maintaining this position, to perform active craniocervical flexion, raising their head approximately 2.5 cm above the physiotherapist's fingers. The maximum time participants canmaintain this position without breaking it was recorded in seconds using a stopwatch.

  2. SF-36 Quality of life

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 4)

    The SF-36 does not have a total scoring system; assessment is based on eight sub-dimensions: physical function, physical role difficulty, emotional role difficulty, social function, mental health, energy (vitality), pain, and general health perception.

  3. Depression Scale

    Time frame: Baseline and at the end of treatment (week 4)

    Beck Depression Scale is a psychological status-based scale consisting of 21 items developed to assess an individual's recent emotional state. Each item on the scale is scored between 0 and 3, and the level of depression is determined based on the total score obtained.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Istanbul Rumeli University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Comparison of the Effects of Mulligan Joint Mobilization and Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization on Pain Intensity, Cervical Awareness, and Functionality in Individuals With Chronic Neck Pain

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Mar 23, 2026
Registry last updated
Mar 23, 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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