Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Acupuncture may ease chronic pain in spinal cord injury

NCT ID NCT03197675

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Maryland, Baltimore 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 06, 2026 · Last updated Jul 07, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial investigates whether acupuncture can reduce pain and improve function in people with spinal cord injury. Participants receive either acupuncture with electrical stimulation plus ear acupuncture, or standard care alone, for eight weeks. The study measures pain levels, quality of life, and functional recovery over three months.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
acupuncture with electrical stimulation and auricular acupuncture
What this could lead to
If effective, acupuncture could offer a drug-free option to manage chronic pain and improve quality of life for people with spinal cord injury.
What could go wrong
This is a mid-stage trial with a moderate number of participants. Previous studies have shown mixed results, and the effect may be small or not lasting.

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

69 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Mar 2018

Finished

Feb 2023

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 to 75 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: 1. age between 18 and 75 2. complete (AIS A) or incomplete SCI (AIS B-D) of the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine from blunt or penetrating trauma 3. ability to understand verbal and written English Exclusion Criteria: 1. a history of peripheral neuropathy 2. medical diagnoses or conditions that preclude them from active participation (for example, moderate or severe traumatic brain injury) 3. receipt of acupuncture in the last three months prior to enrollment 4. presence of skin breakdown or infection over the extremities or external ears 5. active participation in other research studies 6. cognitive impairment that prevents understanding the test instructions 7. prisoner 8. pregnancy 9. active duty military personnel 10. individuals who do not speak or understand the English language

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Spinal cord injuries are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Chronic Pain spinal cord injury

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Spinal cord injuries

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical Center

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21201, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.