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Craniosacral Therapy as a Self-help Strategy for Patients With Chronic Non-specific Back Pain

NCT04199091 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 76

Last updated 2025-11-24

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a non-manipulative, very gentle manual treatment method. Although the mechanisms of action have not yet been investigated sufficiently, initial clinical trials support CST efficacy/effectiveness in chronic pain disorders such as back pain, neck pain, and fibromyalgia. In clinical practice, therapists also report pain alleviating effects of CST self-help techniques, offered to patients within a group concept. Yet, the effectiveness of teaching CST self-help techniques to medical laypersons has not yet been scientifically investigated.

Therefore, this study aims at collecting quantifiable data on the effectiveness and safety of a CST self-help group concept, developed for patients with chronic non-specific low back pain. The intervention group will receive 24 lessons of education and practice in CST self-help techniques over 12 weeks, while the control group will receive the same amount of self-help (education and practice) in progressive muscle relaxation. Six and 12 months after randomization, longer-term effects will be investigated.

Conditions

  • Low Back Pain, Mechanical
  • Complementary Therapies
  • Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) self-help techniques

Manual self-help techniques based on Craniosacral Therapy (group setting).

PROCEDURE

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobsen (group setting).

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Universität Duisburg-Essen

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Gustav Dobos, Prof. MD · Center for Integrative Medicine and Planetary Health, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-08-01
Primary Completion
2025-01-10
Completion
2025-09-29

Countries

  • Germany

Study Locations

More Related Trials

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 NCT04199091 on ClinicalTrials.gov