Massage, Sleep , and Pain

Sleep as a Mediator of Pain Relief Following Massage Therapy for Chronic Pain: Pilot and Efficacy Study

Overview

Key facts that identify this study and show where it stands today.

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT07783139
Lead Sponsor: Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain ManagementOTHER
Overall Status: Not yet recruiting
Study Type: Interventional
Phase: Not Applicable
Enrollment: 120Estimated
Last Update Posted: Aug 24, 2026Actual
Start Date: Oct 1, 2026Estimated
Primary Completion Date: Sep 2028Estimated
Completion Date: Sep 2028Estimated

What the study is about and why it is being run, in the researchers' own words.

Official Title: Sleep as a Mediator of Pain Relief Following Massage Therapy for Chronic Pain: Pilot and Efficacy Study
Brief Summary: This study evaluates whether a 6-week semi-standardized integrative therapeutic massage intervention improves sleep quality and pain outcomes compared with usual care in active-duty service members with chronic back, neck, or shoulder pain.
Detailed Description: Chronic musculoskeletal pain and sleep disturbances are highly prevalent among active-duty military personnel and adversely affect force readiness and operational performance. Sleep and pain are bidirectionally linked: poor sleep amplifies pain perception, while pain disrupts sleep quality. Massage therapy is widely utilized for pain relief, but the mechanisms driving improvement remain unclear. This study evaluates whether a 6-week semi-standardized integrative therapeutic massage intervention improves sleep quality and pain outcomes compared with usual care in active-duty service members with chronic back, neck, or shoulder pain. Objective sleep parameters will be tracked continuously using wrist actigraphy alongside prospective daily sleep and pain diaries. The study also explores whether sleep changes statistically mediate pain relief.

The medical conditions and diseases this study investigates.

The treatments and procedures being evaluated in this study.

Who can join this study and the criteria used to decide.

Ages Eligible for Study: Adult (18-64)
Sexes Eligible for Study: All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
Eligibility Criteria: Inclusion Criteria: Active-duty military service member Age 18 to 60 years Self-reported chronic back, neck, or shoulder pain for at least 3 m onths (≥3 months) Baseline pain severity score of 4 or greater (DVPRS ≥4) Able to read and understand English Access to a smartphone, tablet, or computer for survey completion -

Exclusion Criteria: Criteria:Provider recommendation against massage therapy Undergone surgery within the prior 3 months Pregnancy Received clinical massage therapy within the prior 12 months Diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Autoimmune disease-related pain, Advanced neuropathies, or Active cancer-related pain Diagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) that is untreated or non-adherent with therapy History of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) Severe psychiatric di sorder Inability to provide informed consent or attend weekly sessions at WRNMMC

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How the study is designed and how its participant groups are organized.

The people to reach with questions about this study or how to join it.

Mary McDuffie, MS RN BSNContact

mary.mcduffie.ctr@usuhs.edu3015388785

Where the study is run and whether each site is currently recruiting.

Walter Reed national Military Medical Center

Bethesda, Maryland 20889, United States

The organizations and people involved in this study.

Lead Sponsor: Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain ManagementOTHER

Other registered studies that closely resemble this one.