Clinical effectiveness of trigger point acupuncture on chronic neck and shoulder pain (katakori) with work productivity loss in office workers: a randomized clinical trial.

Objectives: To evaluate whether trigger point acupuncture (TrPA) is beneficial for office workers who have reduced job performance (presenteeism) due to chronic neck and shoulder pain (katakori).

Methods: A 4-week single-center randomized controlled trial was conducted on 20 eligible female office workers with chronic neck and shoulder pain of at least 3-month duration. The control group implemented only workplace-recommended presenteeism measures, whereas the intervention group received TrPA up to 4 times per month in addition to the presenteeism measures recommended by each workplace.