Electric needles vs. stiff necks: a High-Tech test
NCT ID NCT07741227
First seen Aug 03, 2026 · Last updated Aug 04, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether one 20-minute electroacupuncture session can immediately reduce stiffness in the upper neck muscles of adults with chronic neck pain. Half of the 66 participants will receive real electroacupuncture with mild electrical pulses, while the other half will get a sham (non-penetrating) version to keep them unaware of their group. Using ultrasound-based shear-wave elastography, researchers will objectively measure muscle stiffness before and right after treatment, along with pain, pressure sensitivity, and neck movement. The goal is to see if electroacupuncture offers a measurable, immediate physical change beyond a placebo effect.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Electroacupuncture
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this could support electroacupuncture as a quick, drug-free way to ease neck muscle stiffness and pain in people with chronic neck pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial measuring only immediate effects, so any benefit may be short-lived or not apply to everyone. Sham acupuncture is used as a control, and results may not show a clear difference.
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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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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
RECRUITINGHong Kong, Hong Kong
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