Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42566253›Full record

Trial reportPhysiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy2026

Clinical and Electromyographic Effect of Tui-Na Massage Versus Positional Release on Postpartum Neck Dysfunction: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Aliaa M Elabd, Yara N Marwan, Omar M Elabd, Waleed T Mansour, Doaa A Elimy, Zeinab A Ali, Engy B Moustafa, Nesma M Allam, Kerolous I Kelini

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07261605 (Clinical and Electromyographic Effect of Tui Na Massage Versus Positional Release on Postpartum Neck Dysfunction A Randomized Clinical Trial), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07261605 nacompletednot on this map

Clinical and Electromyographic Effect of Tui Na Massage Versus Positional Release on Postpartum Neck Dysfunction A Randomized Clinical Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorOctober 6 UniversityRan2025 to 2026Enrolled60ConditionsPostpartum Neck DysfunctionArmspostural correction exercises, Tui-Na massage, positional release
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Adding Rib Mobilization to Diaphragm Release Techniques in Patients With Non-Specific Neck Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy · 2026
    Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Aliaa M ElabdBasic Science Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Benha University, Benha, Egypt.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7674-8600
Yara N MarwanPhysical Therapy for Woman Health Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Benha University, Benha, Egypt.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2806-1996
Omar M ElabdDepartment of Orthopedics and Its Surgeries, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Delta University for Science and Technology, Gamasa, Egypt.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7695-5143
Waleed T MansourDepartment of Physical Therapy for Neurology, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Benha University, Benha, Egypt.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7604-0840
Doaa A ElimyDepartment of Physical Therapy for Basic Sciences, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7626-3339
Zeinab A AliDepartment of Physical Therapy and Health Rehabilitation, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Sakakah, Saudi Arabia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1574-8412
Engy B MoustafaDepartment of Physical Therapy for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6946-8435
Nesma M AllamDepartment of Physical Therapy and Health Rehabilitation, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Sakakah, Saudi Arabia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2478-4474
Kerolous I KeliniDepartment of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, AL-Zaytoonah, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7244-5519

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeNeck pain is prevalent in postpartum women due to postural stress and muscle dysfunction. Although postural correction exercises are widely used, adding manual therapy techniques such as positional release and Tui-Na may enhance outcomes. However, comparative evidence, particularly using surface electromyography (sEMG), remains limited. This study examined the effects of Tui-Na (TN) versus positional release techniques (PRT) added to postural correction exercises (PCEs) on postpartum neck pain.

methodsSixty women with postpartum neck pain were randomly assigned to three groups for 4 weeks of prescribed treatment. Group A (control) received PCEs, while either PRT or Tui-Na were added to PCEs for Groups B and C, respectively. The primary outcome was neck pain intensity measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes included the Neck Disability Index (NDI) and upper trapezius electromyographic characteristics (normalized root mean square [RMS] and median frequency [MDF]). A two-way repeated-measures MANOVA was used for statistical analysis.

resultsSignificant multivariate effects were observed for group effects (F = 4.798, p < 0.001, partial η DISCUSSION: Both Tui-Na and PRT combined with PCEs improved pain and disability in postpartum women with neck pain. Compared with PRT, Tui-Na demonstrated greater improvements in pain intensity and upper trapezius EMG frequency characteristics. However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously because of the short intervention period and lack of long-term follow-up.

trial registrationNCT07261605.

Indexed as

ElectromyographyExercise TherapyMassageNeck PainPostureAdultFemaleHumansPain MeasurementPostpartum PeriodTreatment Outcomeelectromyographymanual therapyneck painpostpartum period

Identifiers

PMID42566253
PMCPMC13450530

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.