Can Mobilizations Applied to the Thoracic Spine Improve Oxygen Saturation Levels and Thoracic Kyphosis in E-Cigarette Smokers?

NCT07218614 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: NYIT-IRB-2025-299
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to determine if manual therapy can improve thoracic spinal posture and pulse oximetery in individuals who use e-cigarettes. The main questions the study aims to answer are:

• Is there an immediate improvements in thoracic posture
• Is there immediate improvements in pulse oximetery Research will compare an experimental group and a control group to examine the effects.

Conditions

Thoracic Kyphosis

Keywords

Thoracic spine, pulse oximetery, mobilzation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Angle of Thoracic Kyphosis

  Measurement of the thoracic kyphosis will be made both pre and post treatment using excepted normative values (Cobb angle)

  Immediately before and after each intervention

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Oxygen Saturation

  immediately before and after intervention

Study Arms (2)

Thoracic Mobilization

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention group will receive a posterior to anterior directed thoracic mobilization to the mid-thoracic spine to facilitate extension. This will be imparted for a duration of 60 seconds, and this will be repeated for a total of three times. Interventions will be performed in a seated position.

Other: Thoracic Mobilization

Light Touch Contact

SHAM COMPARATOR

The sham treatment will be applied to each subject. The sham treatment of light, non-therapeutic touch will be applied to both scapulae for three minutes. Interventions will be performed in a seated position.

Other: Light Touch Contact

Interventions

Thoracic Mobilization OTHER

The intervention group will receive a posterior to anterior directed thoracic mobilization to the mid-thoracic spine to facilitate extension. This will be imparted for a duration of 60 seconds, and this will be repeated for a total of three times. Interventions will be performed in a seated position.

Thoracic Mobilization

Light Touch Contact OTHER

The sham treatment will be applied to each subject. The sham treatment of light, non-therapeutic touch will be applied to both scapulae for three minutes. Interventions will be performed in a seated position.

Light Touch Contact

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Current e-cigarette user Accentuated thoracic kyphosis (Cobb angle \>20 degrees) Age range: at least 18 years old Good overall health

You may not qualify if:

• History of respiratory disease Recent vertebral fractures Recent spinal surgery Vertebral instability Congenital or acquired thoracic cage deformities Prolonged steroid use Osteoporosis/osteoporosis Inability to provide informed consent

Sponsors & Collaborators

• New York Institute of Technology: lead

Study Sites (1)

NYIT

Old Westbury, New York, 11568, United States

Location

Study Officials

• Teresa M Ingenito, DPT

  New York Institute of Technology

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Teresa M Ingenito, DPT

CONTACT

516-635-3974; tingenit@nyit.edu

Mark J Gugliotti, DPT

CONTACT

631-512-5559; mgugliot@nyit.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Outcome assessors will not have knowledge of each participant's intervention.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Experimental group will serve as their own control after a one-week washout period.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 16, 2025
• First Posted: October 20, 2025
• Study Start: October 15, 2025
• Primary Completion: April 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 15, 2026
• Last Updated: October 20, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)