Electronic Approach to the Human Massage Therapist

ConditionLower Back Pain

Trial statusRecruiting

Trial phaseNot applicable

Trial typeInterventional

Biological sexAll

Age18+

SponsorMayo Clinic

About this trial

The purpose of this study is to gather information about patient experience receiving a massage through a robotic EMMA (Expert Manipulative Massage Automation) compared to receiving a massage from a massage therapist.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

be 18 years of age or older.

report a primary pain point in the lower back.

Pain intensity reported at baseline

Women of childbearing potential who self-report not being pregnant and agree to employ an effective method of birth control (surgical sterilization or oral contraceptives, barrier method with spermicides, intrauterine device, etc.) during the study period

Disqualifiers

Pregnancy or breastfeeding

Patients with the inability to stay in a prone position

Patients with bleeding disorders

Patients with allergies and/or local skin affectations

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

EMMA massage therapy
Device
Expert Manipulative Massage Automation (EMMA) is equipped with sensors to measure muscle stiffness and uses 3D vision technology to measure muscle stiffness and identify pressure points while delivering a massage to patients. Following that, the electronic massager will determine the best course of action for our patients based on the information stored by our Artificial Intelligence and EMMA's robotic arm will perform the massage. EMMA executes massages through soft treatment modules that are warmed to a temperature of between 38℃ and 40℃ to mimic human touch.
Clinical massage treatment
Other intervention
The direct person clinical massage treatment will be delivered by a clinical licensed massage therapist. The type of massage will follow the EMMA massage in that it will be a deep tissue massage (to mimic the Tuina massage) and generally will be for about 30 minutes to once again mimic the duration of massage therapy of the EMMA.

Treatment groups

40 Participants

are divided into 2 treatment groups

Group A: Indirect person massage therapyExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group B: Direct person massage therapyActive comparator 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

Number of patients enrolled

Feasibility will be determined by the total number of patients screened in order to accrue the 40 needed to complete the study.

Time frame

baseline to end of study (year 2)

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Mayo Clinic

Lead sponsor

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

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