Can a needle stop shoulder pain? new trial investigates

NCT ID NCT06338488

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Aug 25, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study tests whether dry needling, a technique where thin needles are inserted into muscle trigger points, can reduce shoulder pain caused by myofascial pain syndrome. Fifty adults with shoulder pain will receive either real dry needling or a sham version, and both patients and evaluators won't know which they got. The goal is to see if the treatment improves pain, function, and pressure sensitivity.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
dry needling
What this could lead to
If it works, this could provide a simple, non-drug option for reducing shoulder pain and improving daily function.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with only 50 people. The sham control may also show benefit, and results may not apply to everyone with shoulder pain.

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

About 50 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Apr 2024

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

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

18 to 80 years

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: * Clinically diagnosed with Shoulder Myofascial Pain Syndrome associated with Infraspinatus trigger point. * Having a shoulder pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score of 6 or higher. * Ability to read and write Exclusion Criteria: * History of shoulder surgery and frozen shoulder syndrome. * Lesions, atrophy, or scars in the skin around the shoulder. * Having undergone physiotherapy targeting the shoulder in the last 6 months. * Undergoing an interventional procedure for shoulder pain in the last 3 months. * Having used steroids in the last 1 month. * Special conditions such as epilepsy, pregnancy, injection phobia, etc. * Inability to comply with the restriction on the use of steroid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs during the treatment period.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

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

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

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  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Kütahya Health Sciences University

    RECRUITING

    Kütahya, Türkiye, 43020, Turkey (Türkiye)

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