Effects of Different Electroacupuncture Frequencies in Young Adults with Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

Background: Chronic neck pain (CNP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder and a major contributor to disability. Although acupuncture is beneficial for CNP, evidence on the optimal treatment frequency, particularly in young adults, remains limited.

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of different electroacupuncture treatment frequencies in young adults with CNP.

Methods: In this single-center, three-arm randomized controlled trial, 90 young adults with CNP were randomized 1:1:1 to three sessions per week (TSWA), one session per week (OSWA), or a waiting-list control (WL). Both acupuncture groups received bilateral electroacupuncture at Jingbailao (EX-HN15) and Jianzhongshu (SI15) for 30 min per session for 4 weeks. Participants and the treating acupuncturist were not blinded; outcome assessors and statisticians were blinded. The primary outcome was the Northwick Park Questionnaire (NPQ). Secondary outcomes were VAS, SF-MPQ, PPT, and PTO. Analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle with multiple imputation.

Results: All 90 randomized participants were included in the analysis. Significant group-by-time interactions were observed for all outcomes (all P < 0.001). At week 4, both acupuncture groups were superior to WL. TSWA was also superior to OSWA for NPQ (P = 0.0196), VAS (P = 0.0042), SF-MPQ (P = 0.0200), and PTO (P = 0.0038), but not PPT (P = 0.0869). At 4-week follow-up, TSWA remained superior to OSWA only for VAS (P = 0.007); NPQ and SF-MPQ no longer differed significantly between groups.

Conclusion: Both treatment frequencies improved pain, functional disability, and selected pain-threshold outcomes compared with WL. Three sessions per week produced greater short-term benefit, but its longer-term advantage was limited and was retained only for VAS at follow-up.

Trial registration: International Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Registry, ITMCTR2025001658.