N/A
Completed N=131
Spinal Pain and Autonomic Responses to Chiropractic Care
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03576846 ↗Enrolled (actual)
131
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
Dec 2025
Primary outcomePrimary: Change in Heart Rate Variability — 843; 887 ms
Summary
This randomized, single-blinded study will investigate the effects of Spinal Manipulative Therapy on Heart Rate Variability and Pain Sensitivity in a population of patients with recurrent and persistent neck pain. Alongside, the study will also develop a clinical test for Conditioned Pain Modulation and investigate its predictive properties.
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Change in Heart Rate Variability |
843; 887 | — |
| SECONDARY Change in Conditioned Pain Modulation, Measured as the Difference in Pain Intensity Between Two Conditions . |
-3.3; 0.2 | — |
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- minimum 18 years,
- able to read and understand Swedish,
- persistent or recurrent Neck Pain (duration of current episode more than 6 months and at least one previous episode of NP),
- no chiropractic treatment during the previous 3 months.
Exclusion Criteria
- conditions or medications that will affect the Heart Rate Variability measurements (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pregnancy, obesity, currently using pain-reducing medication, steroids or antidepressants),
- all contraindications to manual treatment, (anything that could seriously aggravate the pain (such as inflammatory conditions) or signal cerebrovascular injuries (previous drop attacks or a recent episode of new headache or dizziness).
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03576846). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication. Informational only — not medical advice.