The Impact of Muscle Energy Technique and Aromatherapy

NCT06931314 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: KA24/57
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 45
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Individuals with nonspecific neck pain who work at a desk will be included in the study. Individuals will be examined in 3 groups: Muscle energy technique (MET), aromatherapy and control group. All participants will be given home program-style exercises consisting of neck isometric, posture and stretching exercises by a physiotherapist. In addition to exercise, individuals in the MET and aromatherapy groups will be given exercises for 4 weeks, while the control group will be given only exercise. Evaluation questionnaires will be applied to participants at the end of the 0th and 4th weeks. At the end of the study, outcome measures between the groups and before and after data within the groups will be compared.

Conditions

Neck Pain

Keywords

Lavender Oil; İsometric Contraction; aromatherapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Neck Pain

  Visual Analog Scale (VAS) will be used to measure the pain intensity of the participants. It is evaluated by asking the individual to indicate the current situation they feel by drawing a line or a dot on the chart, on a straight line of ten centimeters, the two ends of which are defined by the parameter to be measured in the individual, and the pain intensity in the individual is calculated in this way.

  The individuals participating in the study will be evaluated twice: before the application (week 0) and after the application (after 4 weeks).

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Neck Disability Index

  The individuals participating in the study will be evaluated twice: before the application (week 0) and after the application (after 4 weeks).

• Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

  The individuals participating in the study will be evaluated twice: before the application (week 0) and after the application (after 4 weeks).

Study Arms (3)

Muscle energy technique (MET) Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The MET group will be given an average of 20 minutes of exercise, 2 days a week for 4 weeks. The muscle energy technique (post isometric relaxation technique) for the upper trapezius and levator scapula muscles will be applied for 3 to 5 repetitions, using 20% of the maximum isometric contraction for 7 to 10 seconds, holding the stretch beyond the resistance barrier for 30 to 60 seconds. Since these muscles are overactive due to muscle imbalances, they will be determined as target muscles. The total treatment period is 4 weeks and 8 sessions.

Procedure: Muscle Energy Technique

Aromatherapy Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The aromatherapy group will also receive an application 2 days a week for 4 weeks. A 20-minute lavender oil message will be applied to the neck area (with Euploraj and Petrisaj techniques). All aromatherapy interventions will be performed at 23°C. Essential oils will be purchased from a certified organic and tested company and will be used diluted. The application will be applied to the participants in the face-down position, with the arms in the inverted T position for 15 minutes. The application will be applied twice a week for 4 weeks.

Procedure: Aromatherapy massage

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

The patients in the control group will be given exercises in the form of a home program consisting of neck isometric, posture and stretching exercises by the physiotherapist. The exercises will start with stretching exercises and continue with neck isometric exercises in a way that does not cause pain. The participants will be asked to do the exercises twice a day, every day of the week for 4 weeks, with 10 repetitions of each movement, and a brochure will be given about the exercises. Evaluation surveys will be applied at the end of the 0th and 4th weeks.

Interventions

Aromatherapy massage PROCEDURE

Aromatherapy massage refers to a massage to be performed on the neck area with lavender oil.

Aromatherapy Group

Muscle Energy Technique PROCEDURE

Muscle Energy Technique is a form of manual therapy that uses active muscle contraction and relaxation to improve musculoskeletal mechanics and relieve pain.

Muscle energy technique (MET) Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 55 Years
• Gender Eligibility Details: This study involved 45 women diagnosed with nonspecific NP.
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Age between 35-55 years
• Female
• Office worker
• NP that has persisted for at least six months.

You may not qualify if:

• Individuals under the age of 18,
• Those with a history of neck-related surgery,
• Individuals with known serious pathologies (e.g., malignancy, inflammatory disorders, infection),
• Those with a history of trauma or fracture in the cervical spine,
• Individuals showing symptoms of cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy,
• Individuals known to have allergies to the oils to be used,
• Damaged skin,
• Individuals with a history of allergy to lavender and almond,
• Those with a history of respiratory system diseases,
• Individuals for whom massage and manipulation are contraindicated.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ayça Aytar: lead

Study Sites (1)

Başkent University

Ankara, Ankara, 06790, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Phadke A, Bedekar N, Shyam A, Sancheti P. Effect of muscle energy technique and static stretching on pain and functional disability in patients with mechanical neck pain: A randomized controlled trial. Hong Kong Physiother J. 2016 Apr 14;35:5-11. doi: 10.1016/j.hkpj.2015.12.002. eCollection 2016 Dec.

  PMID: 30931028 BACKGROUND

• Hawker GA, Mian S, Kendzerska T, French M. Measures of adult pain: Visual Analog Scale for Pain (VAS Pain), Numeric Rating Scale for Pain (NRS Pain), McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), Chronic Pain Grade Scale (CPGS), Short Form-36 Bodily Pain Scale (SF-36 BPS), and Measure of Intermittent and Constant Osteoarthritis Pain (ICOAP). Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2011 Nov;63 Suppl 11:S240-52. doi: 10.1002/acr.20543. No abstract available.

  PMID: 22588748 BACKGROUND

• Buttagat V, Muenpan K, Wiriyasakunphan W, Pomsuwan S, Kluayhomthong S, Areeudomwong P. A comparative study of Thai massage and muscle energy technique for chronic neck pain: A single-blinded randomized clinical trial. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2021 Jul;27:647-653. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2021.05.007. Epub 2021 May 11.

  PMID: 34391301 BACKGROUND

• Canpolat M, Ortabağ T. Ofis Çalışanlarında Mobil Egzersizin Boyun Ağrısı Üzerine Etkisi. Istanbul Kent University Journal Of Health Sciences.2023;2(3): 22-25.

  BACKGROUND

• Kanchanomai S, Janwantanakul P, Pensri P, Jiamjarasrangsi W. Risk factors for the onset and persistence of neck pain in undergraduate students: 1-year prospective cohort study. BMC Public Health. 2011 Jul 15;11:566. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-566.

  PMID: 21756362 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neck Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Officials

• Ayça AYTAR, Assoc.Prof.

  Baskent University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Mustafa GÜLŞEN, Assoc.Prof.

  Baskent University

  STUDY CHAIR

• Selin ÖZEN, Assoc.Prof.

  Baskent University

  STUDY CHAIR

• Yasemin Kavuncubaşı Genç, Phd Cand

  Baskent University

  STUDY CHAIR

• Aydan AYTAR, Professor

  University of Health Sciences Türkiye

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: doçent

Model Details: The people who will be included in our study will be examined in 3 groups: Muscle energy technique (MET), aromatherapy and control group. People in the manual energy technique and aromatherapy group will be given an application for 4 weeks in addition to exercise, while the control group will be given only exercise.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 9, 2025
• First Posted: April 17, 2025
• Study Start: March 15, 2024
• Primary Completion: April 20, 2024
• Study Completion: September 28, 2024
• Last Updated: April 17, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)