Qihuang Needle Therapy for Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) often respond incompletely to medication, highlighting the need for effective adjunctive therapies. Acupuncture may offer benefits, but high-quality evidence for specialized techniques such as Qihuang needle therapy is lacking. OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to evaluate the efficacy of Qihuang needle therapy for improving motor symptoms in PD patients. METHODS: This single-center, randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled trial, enrolled 140 patients with idiopathic PD, who were assigned to either Qihuang needle therapy or sham acupuncture for nine sessions over 6 weeks, in addition to their stable medications. The primary outcome was the change in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS-III) score from baseline to week 6. Secondary outcomes included changes in the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) and the 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). RESULTS: Overall, 129 participants (92.1%) completed the trial. The Qihuang needle group showed significantly greater improvement in UPDRS-III at week 6 (between-group difference: 8.45 points; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.49-11.42; P < 0.001), sustained at 10-week follow-up (10.88 points; 95% CI, 7.89-13.87; P < 0.001). Significant improvements were also noted in non-motor symptoms (NMSS) and quality of life (PDQ-39) at both time points (all P < 0.001). Greatest efficacy was observed in postural instability and gait disorder subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: Qihuang needle therapy significantly improved motor and non-motor symptoms and quality of life in PD patients compared with that via sham acupuncture, with benefits sustained for ≥1 month. These findings support Qihuang needle therapy as a safe and effective adjunctive treatment for PD. © 2026 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.