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Could a simple sugar injection ease stubborn muscle pain?

NCT ID NCT05429827

Symptom relief Sponsor: National Cheng-Kung University Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 14, 2026 · Last updated Jul 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether injecting dextrose (sugar water) into painful muscle knots, called myofascial trigger points, can reduce pain. Adults with trigger point pain in the upper back and neck are randomly assigned to receive an injection of normal saline, 5% dextrose, or 15% dextrose. Researchers measure pain levels and muscle changes before the injection and up to one month after to see if dextrose offers any benefit over a placebo.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
dextrose (sugar water) injections at 5% and 15% concentrations
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a simple, low-cost injection treatment for muscle pain caused by trigger points.
What could go wrong
This is a very small, early study with only 23 people, so results may not apply widely. The effect may be no better than a placebo (saltwater injection).

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

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

23 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Nov 2022

Finished

Dec 2025

Lead sponsor

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

20 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * 1). Patients should be 20 years of age or older; * 2). They are able to communicate freely; * 3). Patients have the diagnosis of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) with a definite myofascial trigger point (MTrP) in the neck base and upper back regions (the upper trapezius muscle). The MTrP is identified based on the following criteria, as recommended by Simons \[Simons et al., 1999\]: * (a). a localized tender spot in a palpable taut band of muscle fibers, * (b). recognized pain (as the usual clinical complaint) when the tender spot is compressed, * (c). characteristic and consistent referred pain. * 4). Symptoms of MPS should be more than 3 weeks. Exclusion Criteria: * (1). acute or serious medical problems; * (2). cognitive impairment or psychiatric disorder; * (3). coagulopathy or any other bleeding disorder; * (4). taking medication of anticoagulation or antithrombolytics; * (5). sensory deficiency over the body part where MTrPs located; * (6). serum hepatitis B or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; * (7). malignancy; * (8). pregnant or likely to be pregnant. * (9). diabetes mellitus

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

myofascial pain syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Myofascial trigger point pain

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Department of physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Cheng Kung University Hospital

    Tainan, 704, Taiwan

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