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Needle-Free laser acupuncture put to the test against traditional needles for back pain

NCT ID NCT07826117

Symptom relief Sponsor: China Medical University Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Sep 17, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers compare two forms of acupuncture for chronic non-specific low back pain: traditional needle acupuncture and laser acupuncture, which uses light instead of needles. About 60 adults aged 20 to 60 with low back pain lasting at least three months receive either treatment twice a week for six weeks. The study measures changes in disability, pain intensity, and flexibility to see how the two approaches compare.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Laser acupuncture, a needle-free treatment that applies low-level laser light to acupuncture points, compared with traditional needle acupuncture
What this could lead to
If laser acupuncture works as well as needles, it could offer a less invasive option for people with chronic low back pain who want to avoid needles.
What could go wrong
This is a small study of 60 people, and acupuncture research often produces mixed results. Any pain relief may be modest or short-lived, and the trial only follows participants for about two weeks after treatment ends.

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 60 people

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

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Sep 2028

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

20 to 60 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: * Outpatients diagnosed with chronic low back pain will be screened for eligibility for participation in this study. The inclusion criteria are as follows: (1) low back pain (LBP) located between the 12th rib and the gluteal fold, with pain persisting for 3 months or longer; (2) age between 20 and 60 years; (3) no sciatica or other neurological diseases; (4) no systemic musculoskeletal or joint diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis; (5) no dependence on regular analgesic use; and (6) a Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) score of ≥4. Exclusion Criteria: * The exclusion criteria include the presence of spinal tumors, osteoporosis, lumbar spinal stenosis, lumbar spondylolisthesis, ankylosing spondylitis, or piriformis syndrome; a history of vertebral fracture within the past year or lumbar spine surgery within the past 3 months; spinal infection or active inflammatory disease; coagulation disorders or current use of anticoagulant medications, as well as long-term use of systemic corticosteroids; signs or symptoms of cauda equina syndrome, such as bowel or bladder dysfunction; severe comorbidities, such as cancer, heart disease, or psychiatric disorders, as well as systemic inflammatory skin diseases or infectious diseases; and known pregnancy.

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

Acupuncture Laser acupuncture Non-specific low back pain

How to take part

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  1. The official record

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