Curr Protoc. 2026 Oct;6(10):e70501. doi: 10.1002/cpz1.70501.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cervicothoracic pain syndrome (CTPS) is a widespread condition that adversely affects the quality of life (QOL) and is frequently associated with poor posture and muscular imbalance. Despite its prevalence, effective non-invasive interventions remain unexplored. This protocol of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to investigate the effects of PosturePals on pressure pain threshold (PPT), cervicothoracic muscle activity, craniovertebral angle (CVA), and QOL in individuals with CTPS.
METHODS: The study will be a two-arm, parallel-group, assessor-blinded randomized-controlled trial involving 58 individuals diagnosed with CTPS, aged 18 to 45 years. Participants will be randomly assigned to two groups: an experimental group receiving PosturePals in addition to conventional physiotherapy, and a control group receiving sham taping and conventional physiotherapy. Outcomes such as PPT (algometry), cervicothoracic muscle activity [surface electromyography (sEMG)], CVA (photographic method), and QOL (SF-36 questionnaires) will be analyzed at baseline (T0), 4 weeks post-intervention (T1), and at 2 weeks follow-up (T2). The study has been approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee of the School of Allied Health Sciences at Galgotias University and registered with the Central Trial Registry of India (CTRI).
DISCUSSION: This trial will offer good quality evidence on whether the PosturePals group shows significant improvements in PPT, cervicothoracic muscle activity, CVA, and overall QOL in comparison to the control group. These findings will support the efficacy of PosturePals as a non-invasive therapeutic tool for CTPS, potentially informing clinical practices and guiding future research in musculoskeletal rehabilitation.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: CTRI registration number: CTRI/2025/01/079689 registered on 29/01/2025; Ethical Approval: SEC/SAHS/PHD/24/04. © 2026 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
PMID:42949569 | DOI:10.1002/cpz1.70501
