Is acupuncture really effective on neck/shoulder stiffness (chronic neck pain) ? A randomized double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial.

Effects of acupuncture on neck/shoulder stiffness (chonic neck pain) : A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - EAK (cnp) ARDBCT

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

JPRN

Registry ID

JPRN-UMIN000047195

Enrollment

160

Registered

2022-03-20

Start date

2018-04-03

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-06-29

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

Conditions

Musculoskeletal discomfort

Interventions

Treatment with penetrating needles Treatment with press-skin placebo needles (the needle tip presses against the skin) Treatment with skin-touch placebo needles (the needle tip presses against the ski

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Patients with neck/shoulder stiffness not from organic disease

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Cervical spondylosis 2. Cervical disc herniation 3. Cervico-omo-brachial syndrome 4. Thoracic outlet syndrome 5. Liver, gallbladder or heart disease 6. High blood pressure 7. Cerebral vascular disease 8. Neurological disease 9. Under any pharmacological treatment 10. Patients who will receive any cure for neck/shoulder stiffness or acupuncture treatment within 24 hours after treatment in this study

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Improvement of neck/shoulder stiffness immediately and 24 hours after the treatment	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Practitioners' and patients' guesses at the needle authenticity and their confidence on their guesses	—

Countries

Japan

Contacts

Public ContactNobuari Takakura

Tokyo Ariake University of Medical and Health Sciences Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion

takakura@tau.ac.jp03-6703-7000

Outcome results

None listed

Source: JPRN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Jul 3, 2026