ArticleFrontiers in medicine2026
Protocol for the real-world evidence of acupuncture for chronic neck pain in the elderly: an observational multi-centre cohort study.
Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Introduction: Chronic neck pain (CNP) refers to persistent pain lasting more than 3 months originating from the muscles, bones, joints, or tendons in the cervical region. With global population growth and the accelerating trend of aging, the number of elderly patients suffering from neck pain is continuously increasing, and the associated health burden and socioeconomic costs cannot be overlooked. Previous studies have shown that acupuncture therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is effective in alleviating pain among elderly patients with CNP. However, few studies have investigated the overall effectiveness of various acupuncture therapies in real-world clinical settings for managing CNP in the elderly. Methods and analysis: A total of 212 eligible older adults with CNP will be enrolled and classified into an acupuncture group or a non-acupuncture group according to routine clinical practice, patient preference, and physician judgment. All participants will receive treatment three times per week for 4 weeks, followed by an 8-week follow-up period. The primary outcome will be the proportion of patients with at least 50% reduction from baseline in the worst pain intensity measured by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (0-100, higher scores signify worse pain) at baseline and after treatment. Secondary outcomes include changes in the Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) score, changes in the Tanaka Yasuhisa 20-point assessment scale, and alterations in the cervical pressure pain threshold (PPT). VAS, NPQ and Tanaka Yasuhisa 20-point score will be assessed at weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12. PPT will be measured at weeks 0 and 4. Adverse events will be recorded in detail during the trial. Ethics and dissemination: The study has been approved by our ethics review boards (Protocol Approval HN-LL-KY-2025-009-01, 2025-KY-019-01, No. 2025042704). The study findings will be disseminated through presentation at a high-impact medical journal, with online access. Conclusion: The findings of this study will provide potential evidence for manual acupuncture in the treatment of CNP. Clinical trial registration: https://itmctr.ccebtcm.org.cn, ITMCTR2025002064.
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