Time points of the proposed study
| Time point | Study period | ||||||||||
| Week 0 | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | 3 months | 6 months | 9 months | 12 months | |
| Screening and enrolment | |||||||||||
| Informed consent form | ○ | ||||||||||
| Vital signs | ○ | ○ | |||||||||
| Medical history | ○ | ||||||||||
| NRS (neck and arm) | ○ | ||||||||||
| Eligibility for study | ○ | ||||||||||
| Randomisation | ○ | ||||||||||
| C-spine X-ray | ○ | ||||||||||
| Credibility and expectancy | ○ | ||||||||||
| Intervention | |||||||||||
| Doin with acupuncture | Two times/week | ||||||||||
| Acupuncture alone | Two times/week | ||||||||||
| Assessment | |||||||||||
| Symptoms and medication changes | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | |
| NRS (neck and arm) | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | |
| VAS (neck and arm) | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | |||||
| NDI | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | |||||
| NPQ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | |||||
| PGIC | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | |||||
| EQ-5D-5L | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | |||||
| EQ-VAS | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | |||||
| SF-12 | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | |||||
| Physical examination | ○ | ○ | |||||||||
| Economic evaluation question (medical costs) | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | |||||
| Economic evaluation question (time-related costs) | ○ | ||||||||||
| Economic evaluation question (lost productivity costs) | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | |
| Adverse events | Every visit | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ||||||
EQ-5D-5L, EuroQol-5 Dimension; EQ-VAS, the EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale; NDI, Neck Disability Index; NPQ, Northwick Park neck pain Questionnaire; NRS, Numeric Rating Scale; PGIC, Patient Global Impression of Change; SF-12, the Short Form Health Survey 12; VAS, Visual Analogue Scale.