Motivational Interviewing in Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
The Effect of Motivational Interviewing on Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Symptoms in Patients With Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
1 other identifier
interventional
70
1 country
1
Brief Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if motivational interviewing (MI) works to improve symptoms in people with thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). TOS is a condition that causes long-term pain, numbness, and weakness in the arm and shoulder area. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does MI lower pain and improve arm function in people with TOS?
- Does psychological resilience predict treatment outcomes in people with TOS? Researchers will compare participants who receive MI sessions plus a home exercise program to those who receive a home exercise program alone. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups. Participants will:
- Follow a home exercise program for 6 weeks
- Some participants will also attend up to 4 motivational interviewing sessions
- Complete questionnaires about pain, function, sleep, anxiety, and depression at the start and end of the 6-week program
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable
Started Jun 2026
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
June 1, 2026
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
June 19, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
June 25, 2026
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
October 1, 2027
ExpectedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
October 1, 2027
June 25, 2026
June 1, 2026
1.3 years
June 19, 2026
June 19, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Pain Intensity (Visual Analog Scale)
Pain intensity assessed using a 10 cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), separately for pain at rest, during activity, and at night. Scores range from 0 (no pain) to 10 (unbearable pain). Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.
6 weeks
Secondary Outcomes (9)
Upper Extremity Function (DASH Questionnaire)
6 weeks
Central Sensitization (Central Sensitization Inventory)
6 weeks
Kinesiophobia (Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia)
6 weeks
Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS-21)
6 weeks
Psychological Resilience (Brief Resilience Scale)
6 weeks
- +4 more secondary outcomes
Study Arms (2)
Motivational Interviewing + Home Exercise
EXPERIMENTALParticipants randomly assigned to this arm receive a standardized 6-week home exercise program in addition to up to 4 face-to-face motivational interviewing (MI) sessions. The first two MI sessions are conducted one week apart, and the remaining two sessions two weeks apart, completing all 4 sessions within 6 weeks. MI sessions are delivered by a physiotherapist and a clinical psychologist trained in motivational interviewing techniques, and address ambivalence, goal setting, and behavior change related to pain management and adherence to the exercise program. The home exercise program is taught face-to-face by a physiotherapist and includes scalene and upper trapezius stretching, pectoralis minor stretching, median and ulnar nerve mobilization exercises, scapular stabilization exercises (middle/lower trapezius and rhomboids), and diaphragmatic breathing training, to be performed 3 times daily, 10 repetitions per sessio
Home Exercise Only
ACTIVE COMPARATORParticipants randomly assigned to this arm receive the same standardized 6-week home exercise program as the experimental arm, without motivational interviewing sessions. The home exercise program is taught face-to-face by a physiotherapist and includes scalene and upper trapezius stretching, pectoralis minor stretching, median and ulnar nerve mobilization exercises, scapular stabilization exercises (middle/lower trapezius and rhomboids), and diaphragmatic breathing training, to be performed 3 times daily, 10 repetitions per session, for 6 weeks.
Interventions
A patient-centered counseling approach consisting of up to 4 face-to-face sessions delivered over 6 weeks. Sessions follow motivational interviewing (MI) principles, including collaborative engagement, open-ended questions, reflective listening, affirmations, and summarizing, to explore ambivalence and elicit change talk. Sessions address goal setting, decisional balance regarding behavior change, and strategies to support adherence to pain self-management and the home exercise program.
A standardized 6-week home exercise program taught face-to-face by a physiotherapist, including scalene and upper trapezius stretching (15 seconds per repetition), pectoralis minor stretching (15 seconds per repetition), median and ulnar nerve self-mobilization exercises, scapular stabilization exercises targeting the middle and lower trapezius and rhomboid muscles using elastic resistance bands, and diaphragmatic breathing training. The program is performed 3 times daily, 10 repetitions per exercise, for 6 weeks. Participants maintain an exercise diary to track adherence.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome
- Age between 18 and 65 years
- Pain duration of more than 6 months
- No surgical intervention in the last 6 months
You may not qualify if:
- Accompanying pathologies (cervical disc problems, fibromyalgia, rotator cuff problems, diabetes, neoplastic processes)
- Unwillingness to provide informed consent
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
Hacettepe University Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Interventions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Tüzün Fırat, Prof
Hacettepe University Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- SINGLE
- Who Masked
- OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Purpose
- TREATMENT
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Prof. Dr. Tüzün Fırat
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
June 19, 2026
First Posted
June 25, 2026
Study Start
June 1, 2026
Primary Completion (Estimated)
October 1, 2027
Study Completion (Estimated)
October 1, 2027
Last Updated
June 25, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-06
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share
Individual participant data will not be shared due to ethical and privacy considerations related to the sensitive nature of the psychological and pain-related data collected, and because no data sharing infrastructure or participant consent for external data sharing was established for this study.