Ancient needle trick could ease stubborn neck pain without pills

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Consent: Participants must voluntarily agree to participate and sign a written informed consent form. * Age: Individuals aged 18 years or older. * Pain Intensity: Patients with a baseline pain score of VAS ≥ 50 mm on the Visual Analog Scale. * Modern Medicine Diagnosis (Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy - CSR) Patients must meet the diagnostic criteria for CSR due to cervical spondylosis according to Decision 361/QD-BYT, including: * Cervical Spine Syndrome: Localized neck pain, restricted range of motion, and tenderness upon palpation of the spinous processes or paravertebral areas. Radicular Syndrome: Neck pain radiating to the occipital region, shoulder, arm, or hand. * Physical Examination: At least one positive result from the following tests: Bell-ringer sign, Spurling's test, Shoulder abduction test, or Cervical distraction test. * Imaging Criteria: X-ray findings (straight, lateral, or 3/4 oblique views) showing at least one of the following: 1. Osteophytes (bone spurs) on the vertebral body. 2. Intervertebral disc space narrowing ≥ 25%. 3. Subchondral bone sclerosis. 4. Spondylolisthesis. - Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Diagnosis (Wind-Cold Syndrome) Patients must satisfy at least one primary symptom and reach a total symptom score of ≥ 50% based on the following criteria: * Primary Symptoms: Pain in the neck and shoulder radiating to the arm accompanied by numbness; pain is the dominant feature; pain increases with cold and decreases with warmth. * Secondary Symptoms: Aversion to cold, aversion to wind, cold extremities, and presence or absence of sweating. * Tongue and Pulse: Pale tongue with a thin white coating; floating-tight or slow pulse. Exclusion Criteria: * History of neck trauma. * Diagnosed with specific bone or joint diseases: Rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, Down syndrome, cervical spina bifida, or Scheuermann's disease. * Severe neurological deficits: Progressive muscle weakness (motor loss) or acute, severe sensory loss indicating advanced nerve compression. * Vertebral-basilar artery syndrome: Headache, dizziness, tinnitus, loss of balance, or fatigue. * Autonomic nervous system disorders: Pain accompanied by tinnitus, visual disturbances, or vasomotor disorders in the occipital-shoulder region or arms. * Central motor neuron lesions: Presence of Hoffmann's sign, Babinski's sign, hyperreflexia, spasticity, urinary/fecal incontinence, or sexual dysfunction. * Symptoms suggesting systemic or malignant disease: Unexplained weight loss, fever, loss of appetite, personal or family history of malignant tumors, or diffuse pain and stiffness. * Symptoms suggesting infection: Fever, meningeal signs, or photophobia. * Symptoms suggesting serious acute medical conditions: Myocardial infarction (chest pain + sweating + shortness of breath) or arterial dissection (tearing pain sensation + headache + blurred vision). * Local or systemic contraindications: Infection or ulceration at the acupuncture site; patients who are exhausted, emaciated, or suffering from severe accompanying internal medical diseases. * Substance abuse: Alcohol or drug addiction. * Recent medication use (within the past month): Currently using analgesics or anti-inflammatory drugs that may affect results, such as Opioids, NSAIDs, Corticosteroids, Gabapentin, Pregabalin, or tricyclic antidepressants. * Other ongoing treatments: Currently undergoing other therapies such as acupressure, massage, or physical therapy for the neck area.