An interventional study of Dry needling and Percutaneous electrolysis (Low Intensity - Long Time) in Shoulder Pain, sponsored by Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Not yet recruiting at 2 sites in Spain. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-09.
Sponsored by Universidad Complutense de Madrid · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Among 52 studies in Shoulder Pain with a site in Spain — 10 open to participants now, 10 under way, none of them phase 3. Shoulder Pain · Spain.
Among the 52 studies in Shoulder Pain with a site in Spain, this one is the 20th largest by planned enrollment of the 49 interventional ones, is one of 5 that started in 2026, is one of 47 with no phase, and was the 52nd registered.
735 studies on the registry are indexed under Shoulder Pain; 167 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 60 is close to the median of 60 across 587 interventional studies indexed under Shoulder Pain.
Browse Shoulder Pain studies →10 of the 52 studies in Shoulder Pain with a site in Spain are open now, in 1 country. Each count lists the studies.
Of the 90 Shoulder Pain studies recruiting now, 24 (27%) set no upper age limit and 56 (62%) stop at 75 or younger; 3 take children under 18; 15 take healthy volunteers.
This study: 18 Years and older · all sexes · no healthy volunteers.
The full table on the hub →52 studies; the count open now beside each. This study's row is marked.
First in 2007; this study’s year is marked. 5 started in 2026.
Median enrollment 50 across the 49 interventional studies, 159 across the 3 observational. Of the 34 that completed or were terminated, 1 (3%) have results posted.
1 of 52 have an industry lead sponsor. The 10 most frequent:
Universidad Complutense de Madrid is the lead sponsor of 206 studies on the registry; 64 are open to participants now.
Universidad Complutense de Madrid has 2 studies filed under Shoulder Pain — fewer than ten, so there is no comparison to draw.
5 of the studies in Shoulder Pain with a site in Spain that are under way reach primary completion within a year, 0 of them phase 3. Phase 3 first, then by date:
| Study | Primary completion |
|---|---|
| NCT07592156Universidad de BurgosImmersive Virtual Reality Versus Conventional Physiotherapy for Shoulder Tendinopathy | 2026-11-01 |
| NCT06296979University of SevilleEffectiveness of Noninvasive Phrenic Nerve Neuromodulation in Shoulder Pain and Hepatobiliary Visceral Comorbidity. | 2026-12-01 |
| NCT06398574University of AlcalaEffects of Dry Needling on the Behavior of the Shoulder Muscles | 2026-12-20 |
| NCT07637760Universidad Complutense de MadridDry Needling or Percutaneous Electrolysis for Managing Myofascial Trigger Points? | 2027-01-30 |
| NCT07621016Universidad Europea de ValenciaEffects of Dry Needling in Athletes With Subacromial Pain Syndrome | 2027-03 |
Among the 52 studies in Shoulder Pain with a site in Spain, from their registry updates:
Nothing recorded among them since 2026-09-25.
Dry needling (DN) and percutaneous electrolysis (PE) are minimally invasive physiotherapy techniques commonly used for the management of myofascial trigger points. DN consists of inserting a fine filiform needle into a hyperirritable area within a taut band of skeletal muscle, with the aim of eliciting local twitch responses and reducing myofascial pain. PE follows a similar needle-based approach but combines the mechanical stimulus of the needle with the application of a galvanic electrical current, producing an electrochemical reaction in the targeted tissue. Both techniques have been increasingly used in clinical practice for musculoskeletal pain conditions, including shoulder pain, although the evidence comparing their relative effectiveness remains limited.
Shoulder pain is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders and is frequently associated with the presence of active myofascial trigger points. Among the shoulder muscles, the infraspinatus has been identified as a clinically relevant structure because its trigger points may reproduce referred pain patterns commonly reported by patients with shoulder symptoms and may contribute to pain, reduced strength, altered mobility, and functional disability. Previous studies have suggested that invasive treatment of infraspinatus trigger points may produce short-term improvements in pain sensitivity and shoulder-related symptoms. However, most available research has examined dry needling or percutaneous electrolysis separately, and direct comparisons between both interventions in patients with shoulder pain remain scarce.
The physiological mechanisms underlying these techniques are not yet fully understood. Dry needling is thought to act through mechanical and neurophysiological mechanisms, including disruption of dysfunctional motor endplates, reduction of local nociceptive input, elicitation of local twitch responses, and activation of segmental and descending inhibitory pathways. Percutaneous electrolysis may share some of these needling-related effects, while also adding a galvanic current that may induce local biochemical changes and promote tissue recovery processes. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether the addition of electrical current provides superior clinical effects compared with dry needling alone.
Since limited research has directly compared dry needling and percutaneous electrolysis applied to active myofascial trigger points of the infraspinatus in patients with shoulder pain, the present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of both techniques as complementary interventions to manual therapy and therapeutic exercise. Specifically, this study sought to determine whether percutaneous electrolysis or dry needling produced greater short-term improvements in pain intensity and shoulder-related disability.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Combination of manual therapy, therapeutic exercise and percutaneous electrolysis
Other: Manual therapy · Behavioral: Therapeutic exercise · Other: Percutaneous Electrolysis (High Intensity - Short Time)
Combination of manual therapy, therapeutic exercise and dry needling
Other: Dry needling · Other: Manual therapy · Behavioral: Therapeutic exercise
Combination of manual therapy, therapeutic exercise and percutaneous electrolysis
Other: Percutaneous electrolysis (Low Intensity - Long Time) · Other: Manual therapy · Behavioral: Therapeutic exercise
Dry needling will be performed on the most symptomatic active myofascial trigger point of the infraspinatus muscle. Participants will be placed in prone, and the skin will be disinfected with 2% chlorhexidine. A sterile solid filiform needle will be inserted into the trigger point using Hong's technique, consisting of repeated fast-in and fast-out needle movements for 30 seconds, with the aim of eliciting 3-5 local twitch responses. During the 30 seconds procedure, the needle will be connected to the percutaneous electrolysis device (without current) for blinding purposes.
Percutaneous electrolysis will be applied to the most symptomatic active myofascial trigger point of the infraspinatus muscle. Participants will be positioned in prone, and the skin will be cleaned with 2% chlorhexidine. A sterile solid filiform needle will be inserted into the trigger point using a fast-in and fast-out needling approach, with the aim of eliciting 3-5 local twitch responses. During the procedure, a galvanic current of 0.3 mA was applied for 30 seconds.
Manual therapy interventions consist of soft tissue techniques targeting the upper, middle, and lower trapezius, levator scapulae, rhomboids, teres minor, and infraspinatus muscles. The pressure will be adapted to each participant's tolerance and will not exceed moderate pain intensity. Scapular mobilization techniques will be also performed in side-lying, including elevation, depression, protraction, retraction, upward rotation, and downward rotation.
The programme include assisted mobility exercises for shoulder flexion, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation, followed by strengthening exercises for flexion, extension, abduction, internal rotation, and external rotation. Anterior and posterior shoulder capsule stretching and unloaded Codman pendulum exercises will be also included. Participants will be instructed to perform the exercises once daily until the follow-up assessment, keeping pain below 3-4 points on the visual analogue scale.
Percutaneous electrolysis will be applied to the most symptomatic active myofascial trigger point of the infraspinatus muscle. Participants will be positioned in prone, and the skin will be cleaned with 2% chlorhexidine. A sterile solid filiform needle will be inserted into the trigger point using a fast-in and fast-out needling approach, with the aim of eliciting 3-5 local twitch responses. During the procedure, a galvanic current of 3 mA was applied for 3 seconds.
Pain intensity
Pain intensity will be assessed using a 10-point visual analogue scale (VAS), where 0 indicates no pain and 10 represents the worst imaginable pain. Participants will be asked to rate their perceived shoulder pain before the intervention and at the 7-day follow-up. Higher scores indicated greater pain intensity.
Time frame: Baseline (before the intervention on Day 1) and 7 days after the intervention
Shoulder disability
Shoulder-related disability will be evaluated using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire (DASH). This instrument assesses the patient's ability to perform daily activities involving the upper limb. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater disability.
Time frame: Baseline (before the intervention on Day 1) and 7 days after the intervention
Adverse effects
Adverse effects will be recorded by asking participants to report any undesirable symptoms or sequelae occurring during or after the interventions. These include any short- or medium-term symptoms considered intolerable by the patient or requiring additional care.
Time frame: From completion of the intervention on Day 1 to 7 days after the intervention
Interventions tolerance
How patients tolerate the invasive physiotherapy procedures will be assessed using a 10-point visual analogue scale (VAS), where 0 indicated no pain and 10 represented the worst imaginable pain. Participants will be asked to rate how painful they perceived the assigned intervention. Higher scores indicated greater pain intensity.
Time frame: Immediately after completion of the intervention on Day 1
Plan to share: Undecided
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Start is estimated for Sep 2026; primary completion for Jan 2027, 4 months later.
Of 349 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Shoulder Pain, half reached primary completion within 11 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 4 and three quarters within 27. This study's planned 4 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 354 studies reached it within 11 months; a quarter within 4 and three quarters within 27.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Sep 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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