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Diaphragmatic Myofascial Release Added to Neck Exercises for Chronic Neck Pain

NCT07761793 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 60

Last updated 2026-08-12

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Chronic neck pain can affect daily activities and may be associated with pain, disability, fear of movement, and fatigue. Exercise is commonly used to manage chronic neck pain, but some people continue to experience symptoms despite exercise treatment.

This study will investigate whether adding diaphragmatic myofascial release, a hands-on manual therapy directed toward the diaphragm and surrounding tissues, to a neck exercise program provides greater benefits than neck exercises alone in adults with chronic neck pain.

Sixty adults aged 25 to 60 years with chronic neck pain lasting more than three months will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The control group will receive a supervised neck exercise program, while the intervention group will receive the same neck exercise program combined with diaphragmatic myofascial release and related diaphragmatic manual therapy. Both groups will receive treatment for six weeks, with three supervised sessions per week.

Pain, neck-related disability, fear of movement, and fatigue will be assessed before treatment, immediately after the six-week intervention, and four weeks after completion of treatment. The study will examine whether adding diaphragmatic myofascial release to neck exercises leads to greater improvements in these outcomes compared with neck exercises alone.

Conditions

  • Chronic Neck Pain

Interventions

OTHER

Neck Exercise Program

A supervised neck exercise program including deep cervical flexor training, cervical stabilization exercises, stretching of the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, pectoralis major, and sternocleidomastoid muscles, postural correction exercises, scapular strengthening, and a daily home exercise program. Participants will attend 3 supervised sessions per week for 6 weeks.

OTHER

Diaphragmatic Myofascial Release and Diaphragm-Directed Manual Therapy

The diaphragm-focused intervention includes manual diaphragm release using gentle sustained traction under the lower costal margin during exhalation; diaphragmatic myofascial release targeting the lower ribs, xiphoid region, costal margins, and related fascial structures; manual release of accessory respiratory muscles including the sternocleidomastoid, scalenes, upper trapezius, and pectoralis minor; and diaphragmatic breathing re-education.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Abdelrahman Alghoul

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
25 Years
Max Age
60 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-10-31
Primary Completion
2027-01-31
Completion
2027-01-31

Countries

  • Palestinian Territories

Study Locations

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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 NCT07761793 on ClinicalTrials.gov