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Can targeted electroacupuncture and cupping beat standard needle therapy for shoulder pain?

NCT ID NCT07798531

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Sep 01, 2026 · Last updated Sep 02, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial compares two acupuncture-based treatments for shoulder pain. Adults with shoulder pain will be randomly assigned to receive either electroacupuncture at points chosen based on the painful muscle's anatomy plus moving cupping therapy, or electroacupuncture at standard traditional points. Both groups get daily treatment for 5 days. Researchers will measure pain and shoulder function using a questionnaire before treatment and after each session to see if the combined approach offers greater relief.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Anatomically-guided electroacupuncture combined with moving cupping therapy
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a more effective non-drug option for easing shoulder pain and restoring movement.
What could go wrong
The trial is small and short, so results may not apply widely. The added benefit of cupping over electroacupuncture alone is unproven, and some people may find the procedures uncomfortable.

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

70 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Dec 2025

Finished

Mar 2026

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 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: * Adults over 18 years of age * Diagnosed with shoulder pain according to ICD-10 codes M75.0-M75.9 * No infectious or malignant disease of the shoulder * Willing to provide informed consent to participate Exclusion Criteria: * Complete rotator cuff tear on imaging requiring surgical intervention * Currently receiving systemic corticosteroid therapy * Concurrently receiving acupuncture treatment at another facility * Contraindication to electroacupuncture or cupping therapy, including coagulation disorders, skin infection at the treatment site, or cardiac pacemaker

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Shoulder Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Shoulder pain

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Thong Nhat hospital

    Ho Chi Minh City, 70000, Vietnam

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