Needle vs needle: which pain treatment wins for stubborn shoulder knots?
NCT ID NCT07456735
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests three treatments for myofascial pain in the upper trapezius muscle: dry needling alone, dry needling plus a lidocaine injection, and a sham needling plus lidocaine. All groups also do stretching exercises. Ninety adults aged 18–65 with active trigger points will receive four weekly sessions and be followed for three months. The goal is to see which combination best reduces pain and improves daily function.
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 and lidocaine injection
What this could lead to
If this works, it could show that combining dry needling with a local anesthetic provides better pain relief and function than dry needling alone for muscle pain.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase trial with only 90 participants. The sham control may not fully blind participants, and results may not apply to other muscle groups or chronic pain conditions.
Disclaimer
Read more
Show less
This is a summary of
the original study
.
Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for MYOFASCIAL PAIN OF UPPER TRAPEZIUS MUSCLE are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
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.
Contacts and locations
Show contact details
Enter your email to view the contact information for this study.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Study contacts
-
Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
-
Sultan Abdulhamid Han Training and Research Hospital
Istanbul, ÜSKÜDAR, 34674, Turkey (Türkiye)
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••