Study Evaluating the Effectiveness of Shiatsu on Fatigue in Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis

NCT ID: NCT05433168

Last Updated: 2025-12-30

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

72 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-09-20

Study Completion Date

2024-12-10

Brief Summary

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Spondyloarthritis is a potentially serious disease with reduced life expectancy. Even if the clinical presentation is eminently variable from one patient to another, the most frequently encountered manifestations such as inflammatory spinal pain, peripheral arthritis or even extra-articular involvement of the disease all represent disabling symptoms, origin of pain, temporary or in some cases permanent functional incapacity, but also general repercussions on daily life (asthenia, reactive depressive syndrome, etc.) which require a multidisciplinary approach, involving several medical, paramedical and other stakeholders, The objective of treatment is to improve quality of life, to control symptoms and inflammation, to prevent structural damage, particularly in peripheral damage, to preserve or restore functional capacities, autonomy and social participation of patients with spondyloarthritis.

In France, the main professional reference for shiatsu is the Syndicat des Professionnels de Shiatsu, which proposes the following definition to define shiatsu:

Shiatsu (finger pressure in Japanese) is an energetic manual discipline addressing the individual as a whole. Shiatsu is part of personal assistance. He receives himself, dressed in soft clothes. Shiatsu is a discipline of well-being and prevention for better health. Its objective is to correct both the energy flow (ki, blood, lymph, etc.) and the body structure (muscles, tendons, etc.) by applying rhythmic pressure to the whole body, most often with the inches. It is for everyone and at all ages. Its principle of action is to restore the free flow of Ki (qi, Energy) in the body.

Shiatsu is a set of pressures performed mainly with the thumbs and the palms of the hands on different areas of the body, often taking up the points of the acupuncture meridians. Shiatsu pressures can be (Ishizuka 1993; Kagotani 1984; Okamoto 2016):

* mobile in a given place and lasting 3 to 5 seconds: a phase of increasing pressure followed by a short holding time then release,
* static: same phases but with a hold time of up to approximately 1 minute or even longer.

To date, there is no treatment specifically targeting fatigue in axSpA. Indeed, the underlying mechanisms of fatigue in SpA remain poorly understood, and could for example involve pro-inflammatory cytokines and the inflammatory process, and/or psychological distress. The effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions and in particular the care provided by shiatsu practitioners have not been the subject of studies evaluating, according to the criteria of evidence-based medicine, the benefit of this practice, particularly in the context of treatment of spondyloarthritis.

Detailed Description

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To investigate the variations in the fatigue score (FACIF-F) after a shiatsu intervention (3 sessions) versus a sham shiatsu intervention (3 sessions) (control group).

The primary endpoint will be the percentage of patients responding to the FACIT Fatigue score. A response to fatigue will be defined as an improvement, i.e. an increase of ≥ 4 points in the FACIT-F score corresponding to the minimum clinically important difference.

Monocentric randomized controlled cross-over trial with allocation of patients according to a ratio (1:1) The study will be offered prospectively and systematically to patients with spondyloarthritis meeting the inclusion criteria during a follow-up consultation or in a day hospital or traditional hospitalization in the rheumatology department.

Conditions

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Spondyloarthritis

Keywords

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SHIATSU axial spondyloarthritis FATIGUE CROSS OVER STUDY

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Monocentric randomized controlled cross-over trial with allocation of patients according to a ratio (1:1)
Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Investigators

Study Groups

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SHIATSU GROUP

The patients will benefit from shiatsu treatments by a professional according to the shiatsu protocol developed by the Syndicate's evaluation commission Shiatsu Professionals (SPS).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

SHIATSU

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

The patients will benefit from shiatsu treatments by a professional according to the shiatsu protocol developed by the Syndicate's evaluation commission Shiatsu Professionals (SPS).

DUMMY SHIATSU

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Exercising a fake shiatsu is a real problem as opinions differ. The consensus of the different schools and styles of the technique is that shiatsu pressure is weight transfer. We are therefore going to remove this aspect from the SFASPA shiatsu protocol. The professional will run the same sequence of points, without any weight transfer, being only in contact with the receiver

DUMMY SHIATSU GROUP

Exercising a fake shiatsu is a real problem as opinions differ. The consensus of the different schools and styles of the technique is that shiatsu pressure is weight transfer. We are therefore going to remove this aspect from the SFASPA shiatsu protocol. The professional will run the same sequence of points, without any weight transfer, being only in contact with the receiver.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

SHIATSU

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

The patients will benefit from shiatsu treatments by a professional according to the shiatsu protocol developed by the Syndicate's evaluation commission Shiatsu Professionals (SPS).

DUMMY SHIATSU

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Exercising a fake shiatsu is a real problem as opinions differ. The consensus of the different schools and styles of the technique is that shiatsu pressure is weight transfer. We are therefore going to remove this aspect from the SFASPA shiatsu protocol. The professional will run the same sequence of points, without any weight transfer, being only in contact with the receiver

Interventions

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SHIATSU

The patients will benefit from shiatsu treatments by a professional according to the shiatsu protocol developed by the Syndicate's evaluation commission Shiatsu Professionals (SPS).

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

DUMMY SHIATSU

Exercising a fake shiatsu is a real problem as opinions differ. The consensus of the different schools and styles of the technique is that shiatsu pressure is weight transfer. We are therefore going to remove this aspect from the SFASPA shiatsu protocol. The professional will run the same sequence of points, without any weight transfer, being only in contact with the receiver

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* The patients with spondyloarthritis meeting the ASAS criteria and followed in the rheumatology department of the Orléans Regional Hospital Center.
* Men and women aged 18 to 70
* Patients with digital or visual analog rating scale ≥ 3 on the 1st question of the BASDAI

Exclusion Criteria

* Patient with a pathology that contraindicates the practice of shiatsu (evolving infectious skin pathology that would make shiatsu treatment difficult)
* Previous shiatsu treatment
* Inability to attend appointments for the duration of the study
* Pregnant or breastfeeding woman
* Refusal to participate in the study or to sign the consent
* Patients not affiliated or not beneficiaries of a social security scheme
* Person under guardianship or curatorship
* Patient with an uncontrolled epileptic or psychotic condition which, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with the smooth running of the study
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

70 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Centre Hospitalier Régional d'Orléans

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Eric LESPESSAILLES, PH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

CHR d'Orléans

Locations

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CHU Orléans

Orléans, , France

Site Status

Countries

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France

References

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Bernardinelli N, Valery A, Barrault D, Dorland JM, Palut P, Toumi H, Lespessailles E. Effectiveness of Shiatsu on Fatigue in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis: Protocol for a Randomized Cross-Over Pilot Study. Rheumatol Ther. 2023 Aug;10(4):1107-1117. doi: 10.1007/s40744-023-00558-w. Epub 2023 May 12.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 37173568 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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CHRO-2021-14

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id