A research team, led by Professor Frauke Musial at NAFKAM, is now investigating how different massage techniques impact chronic neck pain through the MeCNeck study (Vacuum Massage vs Tactile Massage for the Treatment of Chronic Neck Pain).
Neck pain is widespread: up to 50% of adults experience it annually, and about 10% live with persistent symptoms.
The study, launched in October, compares two approaches—intense vacuum massage and gentle tactile massage—while using Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) to measure changes in the nervous system.
-Chronic pain patients often show altered pain processing. QST helps us detect these changes and see if treatment normalizes them, Musial explains.
By combining patients' subjective reports with objective data, the team hopes to deepen understanding of massage as a treatment and pave the way for more tailored, effective therapies. Recruitment for the next phase begins in January, and the project runs until mid-2027.
The MeCNeck study is a collaboration between researchers from NAFKAM, Mid Sweden University (MIUN) and Jena University Hospital in Germany.
Read more:
- The MeCNeck Study Protocol
- QST in research on complementary treatments
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health: Public Health Report – Long-term Pain in Norway
