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Can acupuncture ease back pain in seniors? large trial tests it

NCT ID NCT04982315

Symptom relief Sponsor: Kaiser Permanente Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether acupuncture helps reduce disability from chronic low back pain in adults aged 65 and older. Over 800 participants received either standard acupuncture (up to 15 sessions in 3 months), enhanced acupuncture (additional sessions over 6 months), or usual care alone. The main goal was to see if acupuncture improves back-related disability and pain.

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 safe, non-drug option for managing chronic low back pain in older adults.
What could go wrong
This is a completed pragmatic trial, but results may not apply to all older adults. Acupuncture effects can vary, and the study relied on self-reported disability.

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

807 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Aug 2021

Finished

Feb 2024

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

65 years and older

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: * Is at least 65 years of age * Is a current member or patient of the healthcare system * Visited a health care provider for low back pain within the past 12 months * Received primary care at one of the participating health care systems * Has back pain that is uncomplicated with or without radicular pain * Back pain at least 3 months * General activity question from PEG (Pain, Pain Interference with Enjoyment, General Activity scale) at least 3 * Primary care provider provides permission to contact patient * Willing and able to provide consent (Callahan cognitive impairment screener at least 3) Exclusion Criteria: * Specific types of back pain (metastatic cancer or bone cancer or secondary cancers, vertebral fractures, spinal infection, active inflammatory disease) * Low back surgery within past 3 months * Receiving workers compensation or involved in litigation related to chronic low back pain * Acupuncture within the last 6 months * Does not speak or write English or Spanish * Major psychosis, dementia * Current cancer treatment * Red flags of serious underlying illness (a fever most days in the last month; recent unexplained weight loss of 10 lbs or more) * Living in a nursing home, on Hospice, or palliative care * Non-speaking deafness * Non-reliable transportation

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

Chronic low back pain

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Institute for Family Health

    New York, New York, 10035, United States

  • Kaiser Permanente Division of Research

    Oakland, California, 94612, United States

  • Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute

    Seattle, Washington, 98103, United States

  • Sutter Health

    Walnut Creek, California, 94596, United States

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