Can thread acupuncture ease back pain? new study aims to find out

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

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female participants aged ≥18 years * Subjects with low back pain lasting for at least 3 months (\>12 weeks) * Maximum low back pain intensity within the past 2 weeks of ≥3 on a 0-10 scale, measured using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) or the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) scale * Willing to participate in the study until completion and able to provide written informed consent * Receiving pharmacological therapy with a stable analgesic regimen for at least the past 2 weeks, which may include non-opioid analgesics (paracetamol), opioid analgesics (codeine, tramadol, morphine), antidepressants (amitriptyline, duloxetine), anticonvulsants (gabapentin, pregabalin, carbamazepine), and/or muscle relaxants (eperisone, baclofen) Exclusion Criteria: * History of hypersensitivity to acupuncture or thread-embedding acupuncture (TEA), including allergy to stainless steel or polydioxanone threads * History of keloid formation or skin disorders at the planned TEA insertion sites in the low back area * Presence of specific spinal pathology, including fracture, tumor, infection, or severe lumbar spinal stenosis (Schizas grade C or D) requiring surgical intervention * Structural spinal abnormalities (scoliosis or kyphosis) detected on physical examination * History of spinal surgery or current indication for spinal surgery due to severe neurological deficits * Presence of other chronic pain syndromes (fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, neuropathic pain syndrome, arthritis, chronic pelvic pain, migraine, or chronic tension-type headache) or severe comorbidities (stroke with sensory deficits, Parkinson's disease, end-stage chronic kidney disease, or terminal heart failure) that may affect pain assessment * Presence of cardiac disease, hematologic disorders, or uncontrolled diabetes mellitus * Regular use of systemic steroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antiplatelet agents, anticoagulants, or topical analgesics * Body mass index (BMI) \<18 kg/m² * Receive other therapies for low back pain, including dry needling, neuromuscular taping, or acupuncture within the past 2 weeks, or thread-embedding acupuncture within the past 6 months * Receive spinal interventional therapy (surgery or injection) within the past 3 months, or stem cell therapy for chronic low back pain within the past 12 months * Cognitive impairment or other neurological disorders, severe psychiatric or psychological conditions, or a history of alcohol or substance abuse * Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or women planning to become pregnant within the next 6 months