Influence of Verbal Suggestion on the Therapeutic Effect of the Joint Manipulation

NCT ID: NCT06537739

Last Updated: 2025-02-06

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

64 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-10-14

Study Completion Date

2025-01-31

Brief Summary

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The aim of the study is to evaluate the influence of verbal suggestion on the therapeutic effect of the joint manipulation of the lumbar spine in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain in relation to the pain level, stress, disability, function, sleepiness, tissue temperature and selected blood biochemical markers.

The study participants will be randomly assigned (sealed allocation envelopes) to the following groups:

* Group A (test intervention + placebo communication)
* Group B (test intervention + nocebo communication)
* Group C (test intervention + neutral communication)

The study will mainly consist of the three stages, i.e. before the intervention, immediately after the intervention and 24 hours later.

Detailed Description

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Pain is complex in nature and is closely related to the secretion of biochemical markers such as cortisol, serotonin and oxytocin. Higher levels of inflammatory markers, cytokines and chemokines have been found in patients with low back pain, which ultimately affect the clinical manifestations observed in the patients.

One of the methods of physiotherapeutic treatment of spinal disorders involving manual diagnostic and therapeutic techniques is manual therapy. In the therapy, among others, joint manipulation techniques are used. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of the joint manipulation on the body have not been fully explained. Undoubtedly, one of the main mechanisms of action of manual therapy is pain modulation.

In recent years, research has been increasingly focusing on manipulation in a psychological context, including mechanisms of fear-avoidance, pain catastrophizing and kinesiophobia. Furthermore, manipulation can affect immune and endocrine system responses.

One of the significant non-specific effects accompanying any medical procedure is a placebo effect. The way health care professionals discuss, describe and inform patients about characteristic symptoms of a given disease its prevention, diagnosis and treatment, influences the patients' feelings and expectations, which in turn affect their psycho-biological reactions, subjective perception and treatment outcomes.

The appropriate choice of words by clinicians influences patients' responses to medical treatments and procedures, whether active or sham. The way in which information about the outcome of a treatment is communicated to patients can induce the reinforcing effects of a given treatment (placebo) or reverse the clinically proven effects of an active treatment, or even increase its adverse outcomes in the form of a nocebo effect.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the influence of verbal suggestion on the therapeutic effect of the joint manipulation of the lumbar spine in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain in relation to the pain level, stress, disability, function, sleepiness, tissue temperature and selected blood biochemical markers.

Research questions:

1. Does the type of verbal suggestion influence the effects of the joint manipulation in relation to the pain level?
2. Does the type of verbal suggestion influence the effects of the joint manipulation in relation to the stress level?
3. Does the type of verbal suggestion influence the effects of the joint manipulation in relation to the kinesiophobia level?
4. Does the type of verbal suggestion influence the effects of the joint manipulation in relation to the lumbar spine range of motion?
5. Does the type of verbal suggestion influence the effects of the joint manipulation in relation to the disability level?
6. Does the type of verbal suggestion influence the effects of the joint manipulation in relation to sleepiness?
7. Does the type of verbal suggestion influence the effects of the joint manipulation in relation to the tissue temperature of the lumbar spine region?
8. Does the type of verbal suggestion influence the effects of the joint manipulation in relation to the selected blood biochemical markers (cortisol, serotonin and oxytocin)?

The participants will be selected for the study from the group of students from John Paul II University in Biała Podlaska, Poland. The participation in the study will be voluntary.

The study will mainly consist of the three stages, i.e. before the intervention, immediately after the intervention and 24 hours later. Once, before the intervention, a scale will be used for the subjective assessment of the expectations for the treatment outcomes based on the GRoC methodology. The other research tools will be used in two stages: an information questionnaire (before the intervention and 24 hours after the intervention) and a scale for the subjective assessment of the treatment outcomes based on the GRoC methodology (immediately after the intervention and 24 hours later).

Conditions

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Back Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

It will be a prospective follow-up study, with a type of message used as a differentiating variable (positive - placebo, negative - nocebo, neutral).
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Caregivers Outcome Assessors
Participants will be randomly assigned to groups. One of the researchers will then give the person a verbal message (dependent on the study group). The physiotherapist performing the joint manipulation will not know which study group a given patient belongs to. The researcher collecting results and performing statistical analysis will also be blinded.

Study Groups

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Group A (test intervention + placebo communication)

Participants who will undergo the joint manipulation of the lumbar spine region and receive positive communication - placebo.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Lumbar manipulation

Intervention Type OTHER

Participant lies in the supine position, a physiotherapist faces the participant's side that will be manipulated. The participant interlocks their fingers behind their neck. Then the physiotherapist turns the participant on their side and performs a short thrust across the participant's pelvis in a posterior and inferior direction. The manipulation will be carried out on the symptomatic side, based on the participant's indication of the painful side. If the participant is unable to indicate the more symptomatic side, the physiotherapist performing the procedure will select the side. If no audible cavitation occurs during the manipulation, the physiotherapist will attempt to manipulate the opposite side. A maximum of 2 attempts per side will be allowed.

Positive communication - placebo

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants from Group A who will undergo the joint manipulation of the lumbar spine region and receive the following information: "Joint manipulation is a very effective method of treating spinal disorders, which will significantly reduce the low back pain you are experiencing" (positive communication - placebo).

Group B (test intervention + nocebo communication)

Participants who will undergo the joint manipulation of the lumbar spine region and receive negative communication - nocebo.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Lumbar manipulation

Intervention Type OTHER

Participant lies in the supine position, a physiotherapist faces the participant's side that will be manipulated. The participant interlocks their fingers behind their neck. Then the physiotherapist turns the participant on their side and performs a short thrust across the participant's pelvis in a posterior and inferior direction. The manipulation will be carried out on the symptomatic side, based on the participant's indication of the painful side. If the participant is unable to indicate the more symptomatic side, the physiotherapist performing the procedure will select the side. If no audible cavitation occurs during the manipulation, the physiotherapist will attempt to manipulate the opposite side. A maximum of 2 attempts per side will be allowed.

Negative communication - nocebo

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants form Group B who will undergo the joint manipulation of the lumbar spine region and receive the following information: "Joint manipulation is not an effective method of treating spinal disorders, thus it may temporarily increase the low back pain you are experiencing" (negative communication - nocebo).

Group C (test intervention + neutral communication)

Participants who will undergo the joint manipulation of the lumbar spine region and receive neutral communication.

Group Type OTHER

Lumbar manipulation

Intervention Type OTHER

Participant lies in the supine position, a physiotherapist faces the participant's side that will be manipulated. The participant interlocks their fingers behind their neck. Then the physiotherapist turns the participant on their side and performs a short thrust across the participant's pelvis in a posterior and inferior direction. The manipulation will be carried out on the symptomatic side, based on the participant's indication of the painful side. If the participant is unable to indicate the more symptomatic side, the physiotherapist performing the procedure will select the side. If no audible cavitation occurs during the manipulation, the physiotherapist will attempt to manipulate the opposite side. A maximum of 2 attempts per side will be allowed.

Neutral communication

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants from Group C who will undergo the joint manipulation of the lumbar spine region and receive the following information: "Joint manipulation has not been verified for its effectiveness in affecting your level of low back pain" (neutral communication).

Interventions

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Lumbar manipulation

Participant lies in the supine position, a physiotherapist faces the participant's side that will be manipulated. The participant interlocks their fingers behind their neck. Then the physiotherapist turns the participant on their side and performs a short thrust across the participant's pelvis in a posterior and inferior direction. The manipulation will be carried out on the symptomatic side, based on the participant's indication of the painful side. If the participant is unable to indicate the more symptomatic side, the physiotherapist performing the procedure will select the side. If no audible cavitation occurs during the manipulation, the physiotherapist will attempt to manipulate the opposite side. A maximum of 2 attempts per side will be allowed.

Intervention Type OTHER

Positive communication - placebo

Participants from Group A who will undergo the joint manipulation of the lumbar spine region and receive the following information: "Joint manipulation is a very effective method of treating spinal disorders, which will significantly reduce the low back pain you are experiencing" (positive communication - placebo).

Intervention Type OTHER

Negative communication - nocebo

Participants form Group B who will undergo the joint manipulation of the lumbar spine region and receive the following information: "Joint manipulation is not an effective method of treating spinal disorders, thus it may temporarily increase the low back pain you are experiencing" (negative communication - nocebo).

Intervention Type OTHER

Neutral communication

Participants from Group C who will undergo the joint manipulation of the lumbar spine region and receive the following information: "Joint manipulation has not been verified for its effectiveness in affecting your level of low back pain" (neutral communication).

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* participants with low back pain lasting more than 3 months,
* participants who have not been taking any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for at least one week prior to the start of the study,
* participants who are not taking any steroid drugs,
* participants who have never had the joint manipulation before,
* participants within the age range of 19-30 years,
* written consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria

* participants who are students of physiotherapy,
* participants with a BMI \>33,
* participants after a lumbar spine surgery,
* participants who, in the 6 months prior to the start of the study, suffered from a lumbar spine injury,
* participants with diabetes,
* participants with rheumatic diseases,
* participants with endometriosis,
* participants with endocrine diseases,
* participants with acute inflammation in the lumbar spine region and sciatica symptoms.
Minimum Eligible Age

19 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

30 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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John Paul II University in Biała Podlaska

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Kamil Zaworski, Ph.D.

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

John Paul II University in Biała Podlaska

Locations

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John Paul II University in Biała Podlaska

Biała Podlaska, Lublin Voivodeship, Poland

Site Status

Countries

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Poland

Other Identifiers

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JohnPaul2U

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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