An interventional study of Acupuncture at LU7 (Lieque) + Electroacupuncture and Electroacupuncture Only in Cervical Spondylosis and Neck Pain, sponsored by Nguyen Ngoc Doan Thuy. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Vietnam. Open to participants aged 40 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-09-03.
Sponsored by Nguyen Ngoc Doan Thuy · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Cervical spondylosis is a common degenerative disorder of the cervical spine that often leads to chronic neck pain, stiffness, and reduced daily functioning. Pain management in these patients remains challenging, and acupuncture is widely used as a non-pharmacological treatment option. However, the additional benefit of stimulating the Lieque (LU7) acupoint, based on the Six Command Points theory, has not been fully established.
This randomized controlled trial will evaluate whether acupuncture at Lieque (LU7), combined with electroacupuncture at Jiaji (Ex-B2, C4-C7) and cervical-shoulder points, provides greater pain relief compared to electroacupuncture at Jiaji (Ex-B2, C4-C7) and cervical-shoulder points alone.
A total of 130 participants with cervical spondylosis will be randomly assigned to two groups. Treatments will be delivered over 20 days. The primary outcome is the change in neck pain intensity, measured by a 0-100 mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), from baseline to the end of treatment.
The findings will provide clinical evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture at Lieque (LU7) for reducing neck pain and improving patient outcomes in cervical spondylosis.
144 studies on the registry are indexed under Spondylosis; 41 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 130 is above the median of 60 across 99 interventional studies indexed under Spondylosis.
Browse Spondylosis studies →This is the only study on the registry with Nguyen Ngoc Doan Thuy as lead sponsor.
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Presence of cervical spine syndrome, including:
Radiographic evidence of cervical spondylosis on standard X-ray (frontal, lateral, or oblique views), showing one or more of the following:
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants will receive filiform needle acupuncture at Lieque (LU7) combined with electroacupuncture at Jiaji (Ex-B2, C4-C7) and neck-shoulder acupoints. Sterile disposable filiform needles (0.3 × 25 mm) will be used. Electroacupuncture will be applied at 60 Hz continuous wave for 30 minutes per session. Treatment will be given once daily for a total of 20 sessions, excluding Sundays (approximately 4 weeks).
Procedure: Acupuncture at LU7 (Lieque) + Electroacupuncture
Participants will receive electroacupuncture at Jiaji (Ex-B2, C4-C7) and neck-shoulder acupoints only, without acupuncture at Lieque (LU7). Electroacupuncture will be applied at 60 Hz continuous wave for 30 minutes per session. Treatment will be given once daily for a total of 20 sessions, excluding Sundays (approximately 4 weeks).
Procedure: Electroacupuncture Only
Participants will receive filiform needle acupuncture at Lieque (LU7) combined with electroacupuncture at Jiaji (Ex-B2, C4-C7) and neck-shoulder acupoints including Fengchi (GB20), Jianjing (GB21), Tianzhu (BL10), and Dazhu (BL11). Sterile disposable filiform needles (0.3 × 25 mm) will be inserted at LU7 using standard manual acupuncture technique. Electroacupuncture will be delivered with continuous wave stimulation at 60 Hz for 30 minutes per session. Treatment will be performed once daily for a total of 20 sessions over approximately 4 weeks, excluding Sundays.
Also known as: Filiform Needle Acupuncture at Lieque (LU7), Filiform Needle Acupuncture at LU7, Filiform Needle Acupuncture
Participants will receive electroacupuncture at Jiaji (Ex-B2, C4-C7) and neck-shoulder acupoints including Fengchi (GB20), Jianjing (GB21), Tianzhu (BL10), and Dazhu (BL11), without acupuncture at Lieque (LU7). Electroacupuncture will be delivered with continuous wave stimulation at 60 Hz for 30 minutes per session. Treatment will be performed once daily for a total of 20 sessions over approximately 4 weeks, excluding Sundays.
Also known as: Electroacupuncture, Electroacupuncture Control, EA at Jiaji and Neck-Shoulder Acupoints, EA, Electroacupuncture at Jiaji and Neck-Shoulder Acupoints
Change in Neck Pain Intensity (VAS Score)
Pain intensity in the neck region will be assessed using a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), where 0 mm = no pain and 100 mm = worst possible pain.
Time frame: Baseline (D0), Day 10 (D10), and Day 20 (D20).
Change in Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) Score
The NPQ (8-item version) will be used to assess disability related to neck pain. It covers 8 domains: pain intensity, pain and sleep, nocturnal paresthesia, duration of symptoms, carrying objects, reading/TV, work/housework, and social activities. Each domain is scored 0-4; total score ranges from 0 (no disability) to 32 (severe disability). Higher scores indicate greater disability.
Time frame: Baseline (D0), Day 10 (D10), and Day 20 (D20).
Change in Cervical Range of Motion (ROM)
Cervical spine ROM (flexion, extension, right/left lateral flexion, right/left rotation) will be measured in degrees using a goniometer (or inclinometer). Higher values indicate greater mobility.
Time frame: Baseline (D0), Day 10 (D10), and Day 20 (D20).
Adverse Events Related to Acupuncture/Electroacupuncture
All adverse events will be systematically recorded, including but not limited to: nausea, fatigue, dizziness, heavy numbness of the limbs, and other unexpected events. Each event will be assessed for severity (mild, moderate, severe) and its possible relationship to the intervention.
Time frame: Throughout the 20 treatment sessions (approximately 4 weeks).
Distribution of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Syndrome Types
Participants will be classified into Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndromes according to TCM diagnostic criteria: Wind-Cold-Damp Bi Syndrome (WCDBS) Wind-Damp-Heat Bi Syndrome (WDHBS) Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis (QSBS) Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency (LKYD) The frequency and proportion of each syndrome type will be recorded.
Time frame: At baseline (D0), prior to intervention.
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be shared due to concerns regarding data confidentiality and patient privacy.
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This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Aug 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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