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Needles over pills? ER study tests acupuncture for acute pain

NCT ID NCT04880733

Symptom relief Sponsor: Case Western Reserve University 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 looked at whether acupuncture can help manage pain for people visiting the emergency department with common painful conditions like back pain or abdominal pain. About 290 adults were split into two groups: one received acupuncture, the other got usual care. The goal was to see if acupuncture could reduce pain and anxiety, and possibly cut down on pain medication use.

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

290 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

May 2021

Finished

Aug 2025

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

18 years and older

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 ≥18 years of age * Ability to communicate in English. * Level 3, 4, 5 on triage rate scale * Presentation with acute non-emergent (musculoskeletal, back, pelvic, non-cardiac chest, abdominal, flank or head) pain ≥4 on a 0-10-point NRS due to non-penetrating injury. Exclusion Criteria: * Fever exceeding 100° F * Presenting with a chief complaint of a psychological / psychiatric concern * Presenting with chief complaint of Migraine * Patient arriving via ambulance or skipping triage * Current Pregnancy * Self-reported opioid medication taken orally within 4 hours * Presenting with chief complaint of Joint Dislocation * Presenting with chief complaint of Bone Fracture * Confirmed or suspected COVID-19

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Acute Pain agnosia Emergencies

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Acupuncture Acute pain Emergency department Pain management

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Einstein School of Medicine

    The Bronx, New York, 10461, United States

  • University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University- Cleveland Medical Center

    Cleveland, Ohio, 44106, United States

  • University of California San Diego

    La Jolla, California, 92093, United States

  • Vandebilt University Medical Center

    Nashville, Tennessee, 37232, United States

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