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Can thread acupuncture boost GERD relief beyond standard pills?

NCT ID NCT07797959

Disease control Sponsor: University of Science Ho Chi Minh City Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Sep 01, 2026 · Last updated Sep 02, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether adding thread-embedding acupuncture to the standard acid-reducing drug omeprazole improves symptoms in adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Participants receive either omeprazole alone or omeprazole plus acupuncture, with tiny threads placed at specific body points twice over four weeks. Researchers measure changes in GERD symptoms using a standard questionnaire and track safety. The goal is to see if this traditional medicine approach can offer extra relief for people whose GERD fits a specific pattern called Liver-Stomach Stagnation-Heat.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Thread-embedding acupuncture (acupoint catgut embedding) as an add-on to omeprazole
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a drug-free add-on to standard GERD care, potentially reducing symptoms and the need for long-term acid-suppressing medication.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with only 50 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The procedure carries risks like pain, infection, or bleeding at the insertion sites, and the added benefit over omeprazole alone is unproven.

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

About 50 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Apr 2026

Expected to finish

Sep 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

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 60 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: * Aged 18 to 60 years. * Diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with a GerdQ score ≥8 and typical heartburn and/or regurgitation occurring at least 2 days per week, and considered eligible for proton pump inhibitor therapy according to the ACG 2013 guideline. * Meets the diagnostic criteria for Liver-Stomach Heat Stagnation Syndrome according to the 2017 expert consensus on traditional medicine syndrome differentiation for GERD. * No previous diagnosis of GERD within the past 8 weeks. * Voluntarily agrees to participate in the study and provides written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of alarm symptoms, including dysphagia, odynophagia, palpable lymph nodes or mass, unintentional weight loss, family history of gastrointestinal malignancy, gastrointestinal bleeding, anemia, or persistent nausea/vomiting. * Structural gastrointestinal disease confirmed by endoscopy, including esophageal malignancy or other significant organic lesions. * Current use of medications that may influence GERD assessment or treatment, including glucocorticoids, NSAIDs, bisphosphonates, prostaglandins, oral contraceptives, antifungal agents, or sedative medications. * Use of proton pump inhibitors, H2-receptor antagonists, or prokinetic agents within the previous 14 days. * History of hypersensitivity to proton pump inhibitors or absorbable catgut/thread material. * Skin inflammation, infection, or other dermatologic disease at or around the intended thread-embedding sites. * Current pregnancy or breastfeeding. * Currently participating in another interventional clinical study.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

gastroesophageal reflux disease

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Traditional Medicine Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City

    RECRUITING

    Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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