Needle or light? small study pits two therapies against shoulder pain
NCT ID NCT07247825
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 08, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether a needle-based electrical treatment (percutaneous electrolysis) or laser therapy works better for shoulder tendon pain. Forty adults with at least four weeks of symptoms will receive one treatment and be followed for a week. Researchers will measure pain, shoulder movement, and quality of life to see which approach offers more relief.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Therapeutic percutaneous electrolysis (device) and laser therapy (device)
- What this could lead to
- If one treatment works better, it could offer a more effective option for easing shoulder pain and improving mobility in people with tendon problems.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early-stage trial with only 40 participants and a short follow-up of one week. Results may not apply to everyone, and the benefits could be small or not last.
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 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jan 2026
- Expected to finish
-
Aug 2026
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
-
18 to 65 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 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: * Signing of informed consent both to participate in the study and to undergo invasive physiotherapy techniques. * Presence of symptoms (inflammation or pain) ≥ 4 weeks. * Positive palpation test of the supraspinatus tendon. * Men and women over 18 years of age. * Score of 3 or higher on the shoulder pain analogue scale. * Adequate cognitive ability for understanding. * Limited range of motion. * Rotator cuff tendinopathy confirmed by ultrasound at the study centre, either due to tendon inflammation, presence of hypoechoic areas, calcification, fibrillar disorganisation and/or neovascularisation in the supraspinatus muscle. * Pain in the proximal lateral part of the arm that worsens with abduction. Exclusion Criteria: * Any related acute or chronic musculoskeletal disease that may affect the results of the study. * Presence of neuropathic pain such as lumbar radiculopathy, which may affect the results of the study. * Not receiving the treatment sessions and assessments of the study. * History of glenohumeral fracture and rheumatoid arthritis. * Rheumatic, neurological or structural polymyalgia affecting the joint. * Pregnancy. * Patients with cardiovascular disease. * Patients with neurological disease. * Local infection. * Tumours. * Belonephobia. * Taking anticoagulants or antiplatelet agents. * Infiltrative and/or rehabilitative treatment in the two months prior to recruitment. * Treatment with another intervention during the study.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Tendinopathy are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca
RECRUITINGSalamanca, 37002, Spain
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Ultrasound stiffness scans put tendon pain under the microscope
- Can collagen shots around the heel tendon speed recovery?
- Which injection eases arm pain better: steroid or Anti-Inflammatory?
- Mind over elbow: can beliefs predict how tennis elbow patients respond to treatment?
- Tendon pain showdown: which injection works better?
- Needle vs light: which zaps shoulder pain best?