Effectiveness of high-intensity laser therapy on post-needling soreness in the trigger point of the upper trapezius muscle: Prospective randomized double-blinded sham-controlled trial

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Phase 4

Study type

Interventional

Source

TCTR

Registry ID

TCTR20250927007

Enrollment

Registered

2025-09-27

Start date

2024-07-10

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-08-03

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

Conditions

Post-needling soreness in an active myofascial trigger point (MTrP) of the upper trapezius muscle high-intensity laser therapy post-needling soreness dry needling pain myofascial trigger point

Interventions

Hilterapia, a high-powered laser with a wavelength of 1,064 nm, and a 5 mm laser head would be used. The laser setting program for acute muscle lesions was selected. Total energy 900 J divided into 3

Active Comparator Device,Sham Comparator Device

HILT group,Sham laser group

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

20 Years to 60 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Patients aged between 20 and 60 years old who agreed to participate in the study, received dry needling at the upper trapezius muscle on one side, and had post-needling soreness, for which VAS was evaluated more than 40 mm.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: (1) Presence of a contraindication for HILT, such as malignancy, receiving radiotherapy in the past 6 months, bleeding in neck and shoulder areas; (2) History of underlying conditions which affect neck pain, such as fibromyalgia, cervical disc herniation, cervical spinal stenosis, cervical radiculopathy, cervical myelopathy, a history of neck surgery or trauma during the previous 6 months, shoulder joint pathology; (3) Use of analgesic medication or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 24 hours prior to treatment; (4) Prior treatment with HILT; (5) Poor perception or communication; (6) Failure to commit to the 7-day follow-up appointment.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Post-needling soreness at the upper trapezius muscle immediate after laser therapy 100-mm visual analogue scale	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
time until resolution of post-needling soreness 7 days after the intervention 7-day pain diary,use of pain control strategies 7 days after the intervention 7-day pain diary	—

Countries

Thailand

Contacts

Public ContactNutkamol Uanantrakool

Phramongkutklao hospital

nut13490@gmail.com0816433552

Outcome results

None listed

Source: TCTR (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Aug 10, 2026