Can acupuncture and ice chips beat chemo nerve damage?
NCT ID NCT04505553
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This phase 2 trial looked at whether adding acupuncture and acupressure to oral cryotherapy (sucking on ice chips) can reduce nerve pain caused by oxaliplatin chemotherapy in people with gastrointestinal cancers. 78 patients were split into two groups: one got cryotherapy alone, the other got cryotherapy plus acupuncture and acupressure. The study measured changes in nerve pain severity over three months using a standard questionnaire.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
Acupuncture, acupressure, and oral cryotherapy
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to ease nerve pain from chemotherapy for people with gastrointestinal cancers.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study with only 78 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The added benefit of acupuncture over cryotherapy alone may be small or none.
Disclaimer
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the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium
Seattle, Washington, 98109, United States