Efficacy of acupuncture for motor dysfunction in early Parkinson's disease: protocol for a randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial.

Introduction: Motor dysfunction, including bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor, and gait disturbance, is the core clinical feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) and a major cause of disability. In early-stage PD (Hoehn and Yahr ≤2.5), neurodegeneration is relatively mild, and timely intervention may help preserve motor function and delay progression. Although dopaminergic medications effectively alleviate motor symptoms, their long-term use is associated with motor fluctuations and levodopa-induced dyskinesia. Acupuncture, a low-risk, well-tolerated intervention, has shown potential in improving motor performance in PD, but high-quality evidence in early-stage patients is lacking. Methods and analysis: This single-blind, sham-controlled randomized clinical trial will enroll 120 patients with early-stage PD (disease duration ≤3 years). Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio ( Discussion: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in improving motor function in early-stage PD. The results will help determine its potential role as an adjunctive therapy to preserve motor function. Clinical trial registration: https://itmctr.ccebtcm.org.cn/, identifier ITMCTR2025001290.