Can tiny ear seeds replace opioids for back pain?
NCT ID NCT07771686
First seen Aug 18, 2026 · Last updated Aug 19, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether battlefield auricular acupressure (BAA), a needle-free technique using small seeds on specific ear points, can reduce acute back pain in adults visiting the emergency department. Participants will receive either BAA or a sham procedure, and their pain scores will be compared at 30 minutes, 60 minutes, and 24 hours later. The goal is to see if this simple, drug-free approach can offer pain relief and potentially reduce the need for opioid medications.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Battlefield auricular acupressure (ear seeds applied to specific points on the outer ear)
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this needle-free ear acupressure could offer a drug-free way to ease acute back pain in the emergency room, potentially reducing the need for opioids.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small early-stage trial, and the effect may be no better than a placebo. Results may not apply to all pain types or settings.
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
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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
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * Adult patient (Age ≥ 18) presenting to the ED * Chief complaint of back pain and/or low back pain * Pain score ≥ 4 on 0-10 NRS Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy * Known allergy to adhesive * Presence of cochlear implants * Piercings at one or more of the BAA or sham sites * Having received analgesic medications within 4 hours of arrival to the ED or prior to intervention * Preferred language other than Spanish or English * Presence of a wound, sore, or active infection on the surface of the ear
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack, New Jersey, 07601, United States
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