Can acupuncture ease bladder pain without drugs?

NCT ID NCT06366269

Symptom relief Sponsor: University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether adding acupuncture to standard behavioral changes can better relieve bladder pain in women with interstitial cystitis. Thirty-four women who have not had prior treatments will receive either behavioral management alone or behavioral management plus weekly acupuncture for six weeks. Researchers will track pain scores and overall improvement to see if acupuncture offers extra relief.

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 it works, this could offer a drug-free first-line option to reduce bladder pain and improve quality of life for women with interstitial cystitis.
What could go wrong: This is a small early trial with only 34 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Acupuncture may not provide additional benefit over behavioral changes alone.

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 34 people

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

Started

Jan 2025

Expected to finish

Oct 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 89 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: * Meets American Urologic Association (AUA) criteria for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS): "An unpleasant sensation (pain, pressure, discomfort) perceived to be related to the urinary bladder, associated with lower urinary tract symptoms of more than 6 weeks duration, in the absence of other identifiable cause" * Negative urine culture * Has completed cystoscopic evaluation for IC/BPS Exclusion Criteria: * History of recurrent urinary tract infection (2 or more culture-positive in 6 months or 3 or more in 12 months) * History of overactive bladder * History of bleeding disorder or are currently on chronic anti-coagulation * Post-void residual \>100mL * Has previously undergone any of the following treatments for any indication: acupuncture, pelvic floor physical therapy, pre-tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS), sacral neuromodulation, or intradetrusor Botox * Prior bladder augmentation * Currently undergoing or will undergo treatment for a urologic or gynecologic malignancy * Currently pregnant (if applicable, based on self-report) * Implanted pacemaker or defibrillator (AICD) or any metallic implants below umbilicus (eg hip or knee replacements) * Non-English speaking and reading

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

interstitial cystitis

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Bladder pain syndrome Interstitial cystitis

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

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

Can acupuncture ease bladder pain without drugs?

What the study statuses mean