Efficacy of Craniosacral Therapy in Patients With Gonarthrosis
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Ankara Yildirim Beyazıt University
- Where
- Türkiye1 site in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
- Trial code
- Status
- Completed
- People taking part
- 21 people enrolled
- Started
- 15 Apr 2023
- Ended
- 31 Mar 2024
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Craniosacral Therapy
- Home-Based Exercise Program
- Record updated
- 24 February 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 40 years to 85 years
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
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Who can take part
- Age between forty and eighty-five years
- Diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis
- Ability to understand the study procedures and provision of written informed consent
Who cannot take part
- Consumption of caffeine within the last four hours or use of tobacco within the last forty-eight hours prior to assessment
- Use of alcohol or recreational drugs within the last week
- History of neuropathic disorders
- History of unexplained syncope episodes
- Presence of uncontrolled medical conditions, such as cardiac (e.g., angina) or respiratory (e.g., asthma) diseases
- Presence of neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis
- History of vascular surgery or open knee surgery, or receipt of a knee injection within the last one month
- Diagnosis of pregnancy, sarcopenia, cognitive impairment, or osteoporosis
- Any medical condition affecting the autonomic nervous system or immune system, including autonomic neuropathy, pure autonomic failure, autoimmune diseases, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
- Eating within two hours before the assessment
- Inability to move independently
- Presence of somatic dysfunction symptoms or musculoskeletal injuries that may interfere with assessments
This trial has no sites in United States.
It has sites in one country. Choose a country to see its sites.
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
This randomized controlled trial was designed to investigate the effects of craniosacral therapy on pain, heart rate variability, joint stiffness, physical function, quality of life, body image, kinesiophobia, and dynamic balance in adult patients with gonarthrosis. The primary research question is whether craniosacral therapy, when added to a standard home exercise program administered by physical therapists, is more effective than a home exercise program alone.
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Participants will be randomly allocated into two groups. Both groups will perform a standardized home exercise program for six weeks. In addition, the experimental group will receive craniosacral therapy once weekly for six weeks, whereas the control group will receive the home exercise program only. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline and after the six-week intervention period to compare the effectiveness of the two treatment approaches.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Craniosacral Therapy + Home Exercise ProgramTreatment being tested
Participants in the craniosacral therapy plus home exercise (CST+HBE) group will receive one forty-minute craniosacral therapy session per week for six weeks. The standardized intervention protocol will include frontal and parietal lifting-spreading, ear pulling, temporal internal rotation, atlanto-occipital release, dural tube traction, rib lifting, and diaphragm harmonization techniques, applied according to the Frymann method. All sessions will be delivered by a physiotherapist certified in craniosacral therapy under the supervision of an osteopath (Doctor of Osteopathy, R.T.T.).
Treatment: Craniosacral Therapy and Home-Based Exercise Program
- Home-Based Exercise ProgramExisting treatment, for comparison
All participants will follow a standardized, step-by-step home-based exercise program consisting of stretching, strengthening, and range-of-motion exercises targeting the muscles surrounding the knee joint. The program will be prescribed to be performed daily for six weeks. To enhance adherence, participants will be provided with an illustrated exercise booklet and adherence will be monitored through weekly telephone calls and exercise diaries..
Data and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Effects of Craniosacral Therapy Added to a Home Exercise Program on Pain, Heart Rate Variability, and Functional Outcomes in Patients With Gonarthrosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Record updated
- 24 February 2026