Touch and tingle: Non-Drug therapies aim to tame chemo side effects
NCT ID NCT07711626
First seen Jul 17, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether foot reflexology or a mild electrical nerve stimulation on the ear can reduce pain, dry mouth, fatigue, and sleep problems in people with head and neck cancer who are receiving chemoradiotherapy. Participants are randomly assigned to receive the real treatment, a sham version, or usual care, and are followed for four weeks. The goal is to find safe, drug-free ways to improve quality of life during cancer treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- foot reflexology and transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation
- What this could lead to
- If effective, these non-drug therapies could offer a safe, low-cost way to manage multiple debilitating side effects of chemoradiotherapy in head and neck cancer patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with sham controls, so results may not be conclusive. The benefits, if any, might be modest or not apply to all patients.
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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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Study contacts
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Contact
Email: •••••@•••••
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Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
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Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology
RECRUITINGHualien City, 970, Taiwan
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
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