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One tiny needle, big relief? hand acupuncture put to the test

NCT ID NCT04048941

Symptom relief Sponsor: Washington University School of Medicine 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
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early This study
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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Aug 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests a technique called one needle hand acupuncture, where a single needle is placed in the hand to relieve pain elsewhere in the body. Participants with pain in the neck, shoulder, low back, or hip will be randomly assigned to receive this acupuncture with or without movement, or a control acupuncture with movement. The goal is to see if combining the needle with movement reduces pain and improves range of motion more effectively than the alternatives.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
One Needle Hand Acupuncture with Movement (a procedure where a single needle is placed in the hand and the patient performs previously painful movements)
What this could lead to
If effective, this could offer a simple, low-cost approach to quickly reduce pain and improve mobility for common musculoskeletal issues.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial, so results may not apply broadly. Acupuncture risks include soreness, bleeding, or rare infection at the needle site.

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

24 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Oct 2019

Finished

Jul 2022

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 99 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: * Primary pain localized to neck, shoulder, low back, hip. * Pain \>=4 on Numeric Pain Rating Scale with one of predetermined motions. * Willing to participate in study and fill out questionnaires. Exclusion Criteria: * Fracture, malignancy * Condition that requires urgent treatment (e.g. cervical myelopathy) * Contraindications to needling (e.g. pregnancy, active infection)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Acupuncture Pain Range of motion

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Washington University Orthopedic Center

    Chesterfield, Missouri, 63017, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.