A Randomized Single-Blind Controlled Trial of Dry Needling Combined with Conventional Physiotherapy for Adhesive Capsulitis

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Early Phase 1

Study type

Interventional

Source

ChiCTR

Registry ID

ChiCTR2500108393

Enrollment

Unknown

Registered

2025-08-29

Start date

2025-10-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-09-01

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Adhesive Capsulitis

Interventions

Dry needling group:Dry needling (MTrPs in the shoulder) + Superluminous diode (SL) therapy + Maitland joint mobilization + Home - based stretching regimen

Control group:sham dry needling + Superluminous diode (SL) therapy + Maitland joint mobilization + Home - based stretching regimen

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

40 Years to 65 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Inclusion Criteria: 1. Meeting the diagnostic criteria for primary adhesive capsulitis with shoulder pain; 2. Aged 40–65 years, regardless of gender; 3. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score >=4; 4. In the fibrotic stage of frozen shoulder, with passive external rotation 3 months and =25% in >=2 of the following directions: flexion, abduction, or extension; 7. Presence of >=1 active myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in the subscapularis on physical examination; 8. No use of analgesic medications except non - steroidal analgesics.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Concurrently meeting all three of the following: 1. Infrared thermography showing temperature difference (?T) >=3.0°C between the affected and unaffected shoulder; Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score >=7; Shoulder Range of Motion (SROM) loss >=50% (indicating severe functional limitation). 2. History of invasive shoulder procedures (e.g., injections, arthroscopy) or prior shoulder surgery; 3. Presence of comorbid sleep - disrupting conditions unrelated to shoulder pain; 4. Poor glycemic control in diabetic patients, defined as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) >=7.0%; 5. Secondary adhesive capsulitis due to: Shoulder fracture/surgery, Rheumatoid/ankylosing spondylitis, Other inflammatory arthropathies; 6. Concurrent: Pregnancy, Local/systemic infection, Psychiatric disorders, Severe cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease, Hepatic/renal dysfunction.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
visual analogue scale;	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Near-Infrared Thermography for Temperature;Trigger Point Pressure Pain Threshold;Constant-Murley;Range of Motion;Athens Insomnia Scale,AIS;	—

Countries

China

Contacts

Public ContactYantao Ma

Huadong Hospital, Fudan University

mayatao1102@163.com+86 158 0085 9381

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ChiCTR (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026