Efficacy of Acupuncture for Shoulder Pain Based on Remote Point Selection According to the Meridians
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Acupuncture, Rehabilitation.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Shoulder Pain, Acupuncture, Meridians. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Taiwan
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Overview
This double blind randomized controlled trial investigates the immediate efficacy of acupuncture for shoulder pain using remote point selection based on meridian theory. A total of 90 participants with shoulder pain (Numerical Rating Scale ≥ 4) will be randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three groups: acupuncture SC, acupuncture CS, and rehabilitation. Meridian selection will be determined based on the patient's most painful shoulder movement and corresponding pain location, followed by standardized distal acupoint application. Outcome measures include changes in pain intensity (NRS) and shoulder range of motion assessed at baseline, post-first acupuncture, post-second acupuncture, and 30 minutes post-treatment. Blinded evaluators will conduct all assessments. The study aims to assess the effectiveness of meridian-based remote acupuncture and explore its relationship with shoulder movement patterns and soft tissue involvement.
Interventions
- Procedure Acupuncture
In this study, both the acupuncture SC group and the acupuncture CS group will receive two acupuncture treatments in one session. The SC group will first receive acupuncture at the standardized acupoint followed by the controlled acupoint, while the CS group will first receive acupuncture at the controlled acupoint followed by the standardized acupoint. - Procedure Rehabilitation
Participants will complete a 30-minute rehabilitation session, which includes electrotherapy and thermotherapy applied to the shoulder.
Primary outcome measures
- Pain Intensity (Numerical Rating Scale, NRS: 0-10) [Time frame: Baseline evaluation before intervention. First evaluation: 3 minutes after the first acupuncture. Second evaluation: 3 minutes after the second acupuncture (8 minutes after the first). Final evaluation: 30 minutes after the first acupuncture.]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Range of Motion [Time frame: Baseline evaluation before intervention. First evaluation: 3 minutes after the first acupuncture. Second evaluation: 3 minutes after the second acupuncture (8 minutes after the first). Final evaluation: 30 minutes after the first acupuncture.]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Participants must be at least 18 years old.
- Shoulder pain persisting for at least one week.
- Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) score ≥ 4.
Exclusion criteria
- Patients with cervical radiculopathy or other localized neurological disorders affecting the upper limb.
- Psychiatric disorders that may interfere with examination, treatment, or evaluation of disease progression.
- Pregnant patients.
- Inability to provide informed consent.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Double blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Taiwan · 1 center
- Taichung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare — Taichung
Publications
- Chandran KP, Chandran PP, Arumugam N, Muthappan S. Effect of Remote and Local Acupuncture Points on Periarthritis of Shoulder: A Comparative Study. J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2021 Feb 28;14(1):13-20. doi: 10.51507/j.jams.2021.14.1.13. PMID 35770597
- Chen IW, Liao YT, Tseng H, Lin HC, Chou LW. Pain, function and peritendinous effusion improvement after dry needling in patients with long head of biceps brachii tendinopathy: a single-blind randomized clinical trial. Ann Med. 2024 Dec;56(1):2391528. doi: 10.1080/07853890.2024.2391528. Epub 2024 Aug 14. PMID 39140690
- Takakura N, Takayama M, Kawase A, Kaptchuk TJ, Kong J, Vangel M, Yajima H. Acupuncture for Japanese Katakori (Chronic Neck Pain): A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Double-Blind Study. Medicina (Kaunas). 2023 Dec 9;59(12):2141. doi: 10.3390/medicina59122141. PMID 38138244
- Calamita SAP, Biasotto-Gonzalez DA, De Melo NC, Fumagalli MA, Amorim CF, de Paula Gomes CAF, Politti F. Immediate Effect of Acupuncture on Electromyographic Activity of the Upper Trapezius Muscle and Pain in Patients With Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Randomized, Single-Blinded, Sham-Controlled, Crossover Study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2018 Mar-Apr;41(3):208-217. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2017.09.006. PMID 29549891
- Ben-Arie E, Kao PY, Lee YC, Ho WC, Chou LW, Liu HP. The Effectiveness of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Frozen Shoulder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Sep 25;2020:9790470. doi: 10.1155/2020/9790470. eCollection 2020. PMID 33062030
- Green S, Buchbinder R, Hetrick S. Acupuncture for shoulder pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005 Apr 18;2005(2):CD005319. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005319. PMID 15846753
- Schroder S, Meyer-Hamme G, Friedemann T, Kirch S, Hauck M, Plaetke R, Friedrichs S, Gulati A, Briem D. Immediate Pain Relief in Adhesive Capsulitis by Acupuncture-A Randomized Controlled Double-Blinded Study. Pain Med. 2017 Nov 1;18(11):2235-2247. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnx052. PMID 28371868
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06939309 · CMUH113-REC3-192