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Massage Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain: Feasibility and Pilot Study

NCT03372668 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 3

Last updated 2018-01-09

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Massage therapy is a treatment self-reported by those with phantom limb pain (PLP) as moderately to extremely effective, but no research to date has been specifically designed to examine such efficacy or effectiveness in this regard. The investigators propose that massage therapy can affect PLP by applying treatment to the corresponding intact limb for amputees. Theoretical underpinnings of massage and mirror therapy have guided this study's development to address PLP through the development of a novel massage intervention.

The proof-of-concept experimental study examines the feasibility and outcomes of a combined massage and mirror therapy treatment for individuals with lower limb phantom limb pain. Phantom pain severity, intensity, and interference were measured with visual analogue scales (collected twice weekly for the study's duration) and the Brief Pain Index (collected 4 total times across 12 weeks) using a single-subject, withdrawal design with three, 4-week study phases. Intervention consisted of twice weekly, 20-minute treatments for four weeks. Tailored treatments addressed individual phantom pain experience as if occurring on the corresponding, non-removed limb. Participants viewed treatment as though it were being applied to the amputated limb.

Specific Aim: Determine the extent to which massage therapy applied in combination with mirror therapy to the intact leg of an amputee addresses PLP severity, intensity, and interference.

Hypothesis: massage and mirror treatment session(s) focused on an intact limb will have acute and cumulative benefits (more pronounced and lasting) for PLP severity, intensity, and interference.

All study activity to occur on Indiana University's IUPUI campus.

Conditions

  • Phantom Limb Pain

Interventions

OTHER

massage therapy combined with components of mirror therapy

Individualized 20-minute, Swedish massage to address participant's unique phantom limb pain experience as if occurring on the corresponding, non-amputated limb. A specially designed apparatus is positioned such that a fixed, real-time image in place of the amputated limb is viewed by the participant during the massage session. The apparatus has a mirror, masking material to hide therapist and participant's lower body, electronic video display, electronic video camera, and equipment to electronically communicate the video signal to the video display. The mirror and video camera positioned to "see" a reflection of the existing limb being massage feds the image to a live video display situated in front of the participant to the correct orientation naturally represent the missing limb.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Indiana University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Niki Munk, PhD · Indiana University School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2014-08-15
Primary Completion
2015-03-31
Completion
2015-03-31

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03372668 on ClinicalTrials.gov