Acupuncture put to the test for asthma relief
NCT ID NCT01931696
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether acupuncture can improve asthma control in adults with mild-to-moderate persistent asthma. Two hundred participants were split into two groups: one received real acupuncture and the other received sham (fake) acupuncture, both over six weeks. The main goal was to see if real acupuncture led to better asthma control scores. The results could show whether this ancient practice offers real benefits for asthma management.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- acupuncture
- What this could lead to
- If effective, acupuncture could offer a drug-free option to help manage asthma symptoms and improve quality of life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a completed trial, but results may show no significant benefit over sham acupuncture. Acupuncture is generally safe but may cause minor bruising or soreness.
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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200 people
The number who actually took part.
- Start date
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Aug 2013
- Finished
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Jul 2015
- 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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14 to 65 years
- 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: * Patients diagnosed with mild-to-moderate persistent asthma * Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) reversibility of greater than or equal to 12% following bronchodilator administration (2 puffs) * Patients who have given written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Participation in another clinical trial 1 month prior to study entry * Use of systemic corticosteroids 2 weeks prior to study entry * Patients with general infection, lower respiratory infection, pulmonary tuberculosis and fungal infection 1 month prior to study entry * Hospitalization due to acute exacerbation 3 months prior to study entry * Patients cannot stop using forbidden drugs which include inhaled corticosteroid, theophylline, long-term β2 agonist, sodium cromoglicate, leukotrienes antagonist and anticholinergic drug * Patients who are allergic to albuterol and corticosteroid * Patients with severe primary diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular system, liver, kidney and hematopoietic system diseases * Wheeze caused by pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchiectasia and cardiac insufficiency * Patients with hyperthyroidism * Patients with mental illness, acrasia * Female patients in pregnancy, lactation period and planning to get pregnant during the trial * Any significant disorder that in the investigator's opinion, might put the patients at risk or influence the study outcomes * Acupuncture contraindications: serious allergic or infectious dermatitis and hemorrhagic diseases such as thrombocytopenic purpura and hemophilia
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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
Locations
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Kaifeng Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital
Kaifeng, Henan, 475000, China
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Longhua Hospital
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
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No.3 hospital of Henan college of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, China
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Shanghai Dachang hospital
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 201900, China
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Shanghai First People's Hospital
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200030, China
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Shanghai TCM Integrated hospital
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
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Shanghai research institute of acupuncture and meridian,Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200030, China
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Shuguang Hospital
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
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University Hospital of Gansu Traditional Chinese Medicine
Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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Wenzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Xiangya Hospital of Central South University
Changsha, Hunan, 410000, China
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Zhengzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital
Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, China
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