Needle therapy tested for painful sex condition
NCT ID NCT07534345
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether dry needling—inserting fine needles into muscles—can reduce pain during intercourse for women with provoked vestibulodynia, a common cause of sharp vaginal pain. 170 women will receive either real or sham dry needling over 8 weekly sessions. The goal is to see if this low-risk treatment can offer relief where other options are limited.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- dry needling
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a low-risk, non-drug treatment option for women with painful intercourse due to provoked vestibulodynia.
- What could go wrong
- This is a mid-sized trial, but it's still early. The sham needle group may also show improvement, and results may not apply to all women with vulvar pain.
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
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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
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About 170 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 45 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * Women reporting vulvo-vaginal pain during intercourse for \>3 months with an average pain intensity of ≥5/10 on a numerical rating scale (NRS); * Confirmed diagnosis of provoked vestibulodynia by a gynecologist of our team following a standardized gynaecologic exam. Exclusion Criteria: * Other urogynecological and vulvar pain conditions (e.g., unprovoked pain, deep dyspareunia, dermatological condition); * Prior vulvovaginal or pelvic surgery; * Current pregnancy; * Postmenopausal status; * Having previously received DN or acupuncture; * Expected changes of medication that could influence pain perception (e.g., antidepressant); * Any significant coexisting medical conditions likely to interfere with the study procedures.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
4 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec - Université Laval
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGQuébec, Quebec, G1V 4G2, Canada
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Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke
RECRUITINGSherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 5N4, Canada
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Cigonia
RECRUITINGSherbrooke, Quebec, J1L 1C6, Canada
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Kinatex l'Ormière
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGQuébec, Quebec, G2B 3K3, Canada
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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