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Percussive vs. Gentle Massage for Recovery After Hip Replacement
Sponsor: Zachary M Ricciardelli
Summary
Many people who have hip replacement surgery through a "bikini incision" on the front of the hip (anterior approach) develop numbness, tingling, burning, or tightness in the front and side of the thigh afterward. This happens because a small nerve near the incision can get irritated during surgery. For most patients these symptoms fade over time, but for some they can last for months or longer. This study is testing whether a simple, at-home self-care routine can help these symptoms improve faster. Patients will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group will use a handheld percussive massage device (like a massage gun) on the thigh twice a day, and the other group will do gentle hand massage on the same areas, for the same amount of time, twice a day. Both routines take about 5 minutes and are done every day for 6 weeks after surgery. Neither device use nor massage is applied directly on or near the surgical incision. The researchers want to find out whether the massage device works better than gentle hand massage for improving hip pain and function, reducing numbness and tingling, and improving sleep and comfort during recovery. Participants will complete short questionnaires and daily logs, with follow-up visits at 6 weeks and 3 months after surgery.
Official title: Efficacy of Self-Administered Percussive Massage Therapy Versus Gentle Manual Massage to the Thigh Following Anterior Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
58
Start Date
2026-09
Completion Date
2027-01
Last Updated
2026-08-27
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Percussive Massage Therapy (Toloco or Hyperice Hypervolt GO 2)
A handheld percussive massage device (30 Hz frequency, medium amplitude, ball-head attachment) is self-applied to the anterior and lateral thigh in slow, overlapping longitudinal strokes, using device weight only with no added downward pressure. Sessions are performed twice daily (morning and evening) for 5 minutes total (2.5 minutes per anatomical zone), beginning postoperative day 1 and continuing through 6 weeks, maintaining a 2-inch exclusion margin from the surgical incision at all times.
Gentle Manual Massage
Gentle massage is self-applied to the anterior and lateral thigh using the flat palm and fingers of the hand in slow, overlapping longitudinal strokes, using hand weight only with no added pressure. Sessions are performed twice daily (morning and evening) for 5 minutes total (2.5 minutes per anatomical zone), beginning postoperative day 1 and continuing through 6 weeks, maintaining a 2-inch exclusion margin from the surgical incision at all times.
Locations (1)
Total Joint Specialists
Cumming, Georgia, United States