Acupuncture needles take on Crohn's: a new hope for fewer Flare-Ups?
NCT ID NCT06553053
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether acupuncture can reduce the number of flare-ups in people with Crohn's disease who are currently in remission. About 106 participants will receive either real or sham acupuncture over several months. The goal is to see if this ancient practice can help keep the disease quiet and improve quality of life.
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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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About 106 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2024
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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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16 to 75 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. patients with clinical diagnosis consistent with CD; 2. aged 16-75; 3. patients in remission (CDAI \< 150 and CRP \< 5mg/l, or Faecal calprotectin \< 50μg/g, or no ulcer under endoscopy); 4. patients with frequent disease recurrences (≥2) in the past years; 5. patients were not taking medication or were only taking one or more of the following drugs: \[mesalazine (≤4g/d), prednisone (≤15mg/d), azathioprine (≤1mg/kg/d)\] and prednisone and mesalazine were used for at least 1 month, while azathioprine was used for at least 3 months; or those who had poor response or loss of response to biological preparations (anti-TNF-α, IL-12p40, α4β7); 6. those who have never experienced acupuncture; 7. patients signing informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. patients who are recently pregnant or in pregnancy or lactation; 2. patients with serious organic diseases; 3. patients diagnosed as psychosis; 4. patients who suffer from multiple diseases and need to take other drugs for a long time, and may affect the observation of the efficacy of this trial; 5. severe skin diseases (such as erythema nodosum, pyoderma gangrenosum, etc.), eye diseases (such as iritis, uveitis, etc.), thromboembolic diseases and other serious extraintestinal manifestations; 6. there are serious intestinal fistula, abdominal abscess, intestinal stenosis and obstruction, perianal abscess, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, intestinal perforation and other complications; 7. patients with short bowel syndrome who have undergone abdominal or gastrointestinal surgery in the past half a year; 8. there are skin diseases or defects in the selected area of acupuncture and moxibustion that cannot be performed.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian
RECRUITINGShanghai, China
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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