Electronic Approach to the Human Massage Therapist

Launched by MAYO CLINIC · Jun 25, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring how people with lower back pain feel about getting a massage from a robotic device called EMMA (Expert Manipulative Massage Automation) compared to a massage from a human massage therapist. The goal is to learn more about patients’ experiences with these two types of massage to see how they compare.

Adults aged 18 and older who have lower back pain and can fully take part in the study may be eligible. Women who could become pregnant need to agree to use effective birth control during the study. Participants should not have used pain medications recently, have certain health conditions like serious heart problems or infections, or have had recent surgery in the area to be massaged. If eligible, participants will receive massages either from the robot or a therapist and share their experience. This study is not yet recruiting, but it aims to help improve massage treatments for people with lower back pain in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 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
• • be able to participate fully in all aspects of the study.
• • have understood and signed study informed consent.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 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
• • have used pain medications or participated in a pain treatment within three days of study enrollment.
• • have an implanted device (including a lap band) in the targeted area of massage therapy.
• • have used an investigational drug within 30 days of study enrollment.
• • have a history of any major cardiovascular events including heart valve disease, ongoing angina, cardiac arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, stroke, transient ischemic attack, or peripheral vascular disease.
• • have clinically significant acute or chronic progressive or unstable neurologic, hepatic, renal, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, metabolic disease (such as uncontrolled diabetes type 2) active cancer, actively receiving treatment for cancer or within 1 year of cancer remission.
• • surgical intervention for pain within 1 month prior to enrollment.
• • active infection, wound or other external trauma to the areas to be treated with massage therapy.
• • have a known history of any condition or factor judged by the investigator to preclude participation in the study or which might hinder adherence.