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Battlefield acupuncture: a Needle-Based alternative to NSAIDs for back pain?

NCT ID NCT04236908

Symptom relief Sponsor: David Moss 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 ear acupuncture (called Battlefield Acupuncture) works better than standard painkillers (NSAIDs) for acute low back pain in active-duty military members. 276 participants received either acupuncture, NSAIDs, or both. The goal was to see which approach reduced pain and missed work days more effectively.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Battlefield Acupuncture (ear acupuncture with semi-permanent needles) and naproxen (NSAID)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a drug-free option for quick pain relief in military settings.
What could go wrong
This is a small, completed study in a specific military population, so results may not apply to everyone. Acupuncture effects can vary, and the placebo effect is strong in pain studies.

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

276 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Aug 2020

Finished

Dec 2025

Lead sponsor

A government agency

The lead sponsor is a US federal agency other than the NIH.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 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.

\*\*Patients must be able to get care at Nellis Air Force Base (a military installation) in order to participate in this study\*\* Inclusion Criteria: * Male and Female Active Duty and DoD Beneficiaries aged 18 years or older. * Complaints of acute back pain (4 weeks or less in duration). Exclusion Criteria: * Known history of underlying rheumatologic condition. * Chronic low back pain (greater than 4 weeks in duration). * Contraindications to NSAID use (including peptic ulcer disease, underlying coagulopathy, severe coronary artery disease, underlying renal disease, allergy, thrombocytopenia). * Red flag symptoms of low back pain (to include bowel or bladder incontinence, sudden onset sensorineural deficits, loss of sensation in the perineal region). * Requiring narcotic use to control symptoms. * Patients currently taking opioid medications. * pregnant, may be pregnant, or attempting to become pregnant

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Low Back Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Acupuncture Low back pain

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Mike O'Callaghan Military Medical Center

    Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, 89191, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.