Acupuncture vs. sham needles: a test for chemo nerve damage
NCT ID NCT04651907
First seen Jul 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026
Summary
This trial tests whether real acupuncture can reduce the numbness, tingling, and pain that chemotherapy often leaves behind. Cancer survivors with persistent nerve symptoms will receive either genuine acupuncture or a sham version with superficial needling at non-acupoints. The goal is to see if the real treatment leads to meaningful improvement in daily function and discomfort.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- acupuncture (real vs. sham minimal acupuncture)
- What this could lead to
- If effective, acupuncture could offer a drug-free option to relieve chemotherapy-induced nerve damage symptoms like numbness and pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small trial, and the sham control may also produce some benefit, making it hard to prove a clear advantage. Results may not apply to all chemotherapy types.
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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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China Medical University Hospital
Taichung, 404, Taiwan
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Taipei Veterans General Hospital
Taipei, 112201, Taiwan
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Taiwan Municipal An-Nan Hospital-China Medical University
Tainan, 709, Taiwan
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Brain training and nerve stretching could ease chemo nerve damage
- Acupuncture and exercise join forces against chemotherapy nerve pain
- New drug candidate AH-008 takes first step toward easing chemotherapy nerve pain
- Acupuncture needles take on Chemo's nerve damage
- Menthol gloves may soothe nerve pain caused by chemotherapy