NCT04199091

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

Craniosacral Therapy Versus Progressive Muscle Relaxation as Self-help Strategies for Patients With Chronic Non-specific Back Pain: a Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 76 (actual)
• Sponsor: Universität Duisburg-Essen · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

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

Type	Name	Description
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).

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-08-01
• Primary completion: 2025-01-10
• Completion: 2025-09-29
• First posted: 2019-12-13
• Last updated: 2025-11-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany