Acupuncture needles may unlock relief for stubborn neck pain
NCT ID NCT07681349
First seen Jul 02, 2026 · Last updated Jul 02, 2026
Summary
This study investigates whether acupuncture can reduce pain and improve shoulder movement in adults with chronic neck discomfort lasting at least three months. Fifty participants will receive either real acupuncture or a sham version to see if the treatment provides specific benefits beyond a placebo effect. Researchers will measure neck and shoulder motion, muscle activity, pain levels, and disability before and after a single session.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- acupuncture
- What this could lead to
- If effective, acupuncture could offer a non-drug option for easing chronic neck pain and improving shoulder function.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, single-session trial, so results may not apply to long-term treatment. Sham acupuncture can also produce some benefit, making it hard to prove real effects.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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50 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2020
- Finished
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Jan 2021
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * age between 18 and 65 years; * presence of neck discomfort for at least 3 months; and * baseline neck disability index(NDI) score between 5 and 24, indicating mild to moderate disability, and baseline Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) score between 1 and 6 for pain intensity. Exclusion Criteria: * scored \>24 on the NDI, indicating severe disability; * had a history of neck, shoulder, or upper limb surgery or major trauma; * had restricted shoulder joint ROM, joint instability, or shoulder pain during movement; * had taken analgesics, muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory agents, or traditional Chinese or Western medicine 3 days prior to study initiation; * had received acupuncture, massage, cupping, or other manual therapies within 1 week prior to the intervention; and/or * were pregnant.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital
Hualien City, Hualien, 970, Taiwan