Efficacy of Acupuncture at Lieque (LU7) for Neck Pain in Cervical Spondylosis

NCT07151404 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: C2025-44-1386/QĐ-ĐHQG
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 130
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Cervical Spondylosis; Neck Pain

Keywords

Cervical Spondylosis; Neck Pain; Cervical Spine; Acupuncture; Electroacupuncture; Lieque Point; LU7 Acupoint; Jiaji Points; Cervical-Shoulder Acupoints; Randomized Controlled Trial; LU7; Ex-B2; Ex-B2, C4-C7

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• 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.

  Baseline (D0), Day 10 (D10), and Day 20 (D20).

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) Score

  Baseline (D0), Day 10 (D10), and Day 20 (D20).

• Change in Cervical Range of Motion (ROM)

  Baseline (D0), Day 10 (D10), and Day 20 (D20).

Other Outcomes (2)

• Adverse Events Related to Acupuncture/Electroacupuncture

  Throughout the 20 treatment sessions (approximately 4 weeks).

• Distribution of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Syndrome Types

  At baseline (D0), prior to intervention.

Study Arms (2)

Lieque (LU7) + Electroacupuncture

EXPERIMENTAL

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

Electroacupuncture Only

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

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

Interventions

Acupuncture at LU7 (Lieque) + Electroacupuncture PROCEDURE

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

Lieque (LU7) + Electroacupuncture

Electroacupuncture Only PROCEDURE

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

Electroacupuncture Only

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 40 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 40 years or older
• Diagnosis of cervical spondylosis based on clinical evaluation and imaging.
• Presence of cervical spine syndrome, including:
• Neck and shoulder pain.
• Limited range of motion in the cervical spine.
• Local tenderness over the cervical spine or paraspinal region corresponding to nerve roots.
• Radiographic evidence of cervical spondylosis on standard X-ray (frontal, lateral, or oblique views), showing one or more of the following:
• Subchondral sclerosis.
• Narrowing of the intervertebral disc space.
• Osteophyte formation (bone spurs, bridging osteophytes).
• Patients receiving treatment at Thu Duc City Hospital

You may not qualify if:

• Patients who do not agree to participate in the study.
• Acute torticollis, cervical disc herniation, spinal deformity, cervical spine trauma, or spinal tumors.
• Neck and shoulder pain not caused by cervical spondylosis.
• History of systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, severe cardiovascular disease, systemic infection, malignancy, or immunodeficiency disorders.
• History of neurological or psychiatric conditions that impair communication or compliance, including speech disorders, impaired consciousness, psychosis, or dementia.
• Contraindications to electroacupuncture.
• Non-compliance with study treatment protocol.
• Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) within the past 10 days or local corticosteroid injection within the past 3 months.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Nguyen Ngoc Doan Thuy: lead

Study Sites (1)

Thu Duc City Hospital

Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh, 700000, Vietnam

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Spondylosis; Neck Pain

Interventions

Electroacupuncture

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Spinal Diseases; Bone Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Combined Modality Therapy; Therapeutics; Acupuncture Therapy; Complementary Therapies; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Physical Therapy Modalities; Rehabilitation; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation; Analgesia; Anesthesia and Analgesia; Anesthesia

Study Officials

• Ngoc Doan Thuy Nguyen, MD, MSc

  University of Health Sciences, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Ngoc Doan Thuy Nguyen, MD, MSc

CONTACT

+84-918-949-394; nndthuy@uhsvnu.edu.vn

Ngoc Doan Thuy Nguyen, MD, MSc

CONTACT

+84-918-949-394; nguyenngocdoanthuy@outlook.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: MSc, MD, Lecturer, Department of Acupuncture, School of Medicine - Vietnam National University at Ho Chi Minh City

Model Details: Participants will be randomly assigned to two groups. The experimental group will receive filiform needle acupuncture at Lieque (LU7) combined with electroacupuncture at Jiaji (Ex-B2, C4-C7) and selected neck-shoulder acupoints. The control group will receive electroacupuncture at Jiaji (Ex-B2, C4-C7) and neck-shoulder acupoints only. Treatment will be performed once daily for a total of 20 sessions over approximately 4 weeks, excluding Sundays.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 19, 2025
• First Posted: September 3, 2025
• Study Start: September 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: March 1, 2026
• Study Completion: March 1, 2026
• Last Updated: September 3, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

VN (1)