Can tiny needles zap whiplash pain away?
NCT ID NCT06938425
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares two needle-based treatments—electrolysis and dry needling—against standard physiotherapy for whiplash pain from car accidents. Thirty-six adults with neck pain and active trigger points will receive one of the three approaches. The goal is to see which method best reduces pain and improves muscle function in the short and medium term.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- intratissue percutaneous electrolysis and deep dry needling
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer more effective, non-drug options for reducing pain and improving muscle function in people with whiplash after car accidents.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial (36 people) comparing techniques, not a cure. Results may not apply to all whiplash patients, and the invasive needles carry minor risks like bruising or soreness.
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 36 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Nov 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
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 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- 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: * Adults with whiplash syndrome following a traffic accident. * Patients must reside or stay in the Autonomous Community of Melilla during the intervention phase. * Subjects will have the presence of neck pain after suffering a traffic accident and the presence of at least one active trigger point in the sternocleidomastoid and/or levator scapulae muscles. * All subjects who suffer a traffic accident and who have a score of 5 or higher on the numerical scale (EN) of pain assessment. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients undergoing anticoagulant treatment. * Patients who have suffered previous cervical trauma or who have undergone surgery in the last year. * Subjects who present some type of alteration (skin or infection, sensitivity or pain perception). * Subjects with central or peripheral nervous system involvement. * Patients who have problems with the material: allergy to metal, belonephobia (fear of needles). * Pregnant women.
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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
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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
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