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Acupuncture put to the test for asthma relief

NCT ID NCT01931696

Symptom relief Sponsor: Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether acupuncture can improve asthma control in adults with mild-to-moderate persistent asthma. Two hundred participants were split into two groups: one received real acupuncture and the other received sham (fake) acupuncture, both over six weeks. The main goal was to see if real acupuncture led to better asthma control scores. The results could show whether this ancient practice offers real benefits for asthma management.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
acupuncture
What this could lead to
If effective, acupuncture could offer a drug-free option to help manage asthma symptoms and improve quality of life.
What could go wrong
This is a completed trial, but results may show no significant benefit over sham acupuncture. Acupuncture is generally safe but may cause minor bruising or soreness.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

200 people

The number who actually took part.

Start date

Aug 2013

Finished

Jul 2015

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

14 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients diagnosed with mild-to-moderate persistent asthma * Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) reversibility of greater than or equal to 12% following bronchodilator administration (2 puffs) * Patients who have given written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Participation in another clinical trial 1 month prior to study entry * Use of systemic corticosteroids 2 weeks prior to study entry * Patients with general infection, lower respiratory infection, pulmonary tuberculosis and fungal infection 1 month prior to study entry * Hospitalization due to acute exacerbation 3 months prior to study entry * Patients cannot stop using forbidden drugs which include inhaled corticosteroid, theophylline, long-term β2 agonist, sodium cromoglicate, leukotrienes antagonist and anticholinergic drug * Patients who are allergic to albuterol and corticosteroid * Patients with severe primary diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular system, liver, kidney and hematopoietic system diseases * Wheeze caused by pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchiectasia and cardiac insufficiency * Patients with hyperthyroidism * Patients with mental illness, acrasia * Female patients in pregnancy, lactation period and planning to get pregnant during the trial * Any significant disorder that in the investigator's opinion, might put the patients at risk or influence the study outcomes * Acupuncture contraindications: serious allergic or infectious dermatitis and hemorrhagic diseases such as thrombocytopenic purpura and hemophilia

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

asthma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Asthma

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Kaifeng Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital

    Kaifeng, Henan, 475000, China

  • Longhua Hospital

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China

  • No.3 hospital of Henan college of Traditional Chinese Medicine

    Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, China

  • Shanghai Dachang hospital

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 201900, China

  • Shanghai First People's Hospital

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200030, China

  • Shanghai TCM Integrated hospital

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China

  • Shanghai research institute of acupuncture and meridian，Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200030, China

  • Shuguang Hospital

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China

  • University Hospital of Gansu Traditional Chinese Medicine

    Lanzhou, Gansu, China

  • Wenzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine

    Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China

  • Xiangya Hospital of Central South University

    Changsha, Hunan, 410000, China

  • Zhengzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital

    Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, China

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