Clinical Efficacy of Acupuncture Combined with Physical Modalities in Treating Sedentary-Induced Neck, Shoulder, and Low Back Pain

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with electrotherapy and infrared irradiation for treating neck, shoulder, and low back pain caused by a prolonged sedentary lifestyle. Methods: A total of 160 patients diagnosed with neck, shoulder, and low back pain due to a prolonged sedentary lifestyle from September 2024 to March 2025 were recruited for this study. These patients were randomly allocated to an observation group (n = 80) and a control group (n = 80). The observation group underwent acupuncture therapy, targeting specific acupoints such as Fengchi (GB20), Jianjing (GB21), Dazhui (GV14), and Shenshu (BL23), along with electrotherapy and infrared irradiation. In comparison, the control group received conventional physical therapy. Before and after the treatment, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores, Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups. Results: After treatment, the observation group showed significantly greater improvements in VAS scores (2.8 ± 1.1 vs. 4.3 ± 1.4), NDI scores (15.3 ± 4.8 vs. 21.7 ± 5.1), and JOA scores (22.8 ± 3.5 vs. 18.3 ± 3.7) than the control group (P < 0.01). The overall effective rate of the observation group was 92.5%, significantly higher than that of the control group (75.0%) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture combined with electrotherapy and infrared irradiation has exhibited notable efficacy in effectively relieving the symptoms of neck, shoulder, and low back pain caused by a prolonged sedentary lifestyle. It also aids in improving functional mobility and enhancing the quality of life, showing better therapeutic results compared to conventional physical therapy.