Can acupuncture replace painkillers after surgery?
NCT ID NCT04560712
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at whether acupuncture can help manage pain after open abdominal surgery for colorectal or pancreatic cancer. About 70 patients will either receive acupuncture or standard care. The goal is to see if acupuncture reduces pain and the need for opioid painkillers, helping patients recover better.
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 way to manage post-surgery pain and reduce reliance on opioids.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 70 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Acupuncture's effect on pain is still uncertain.
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
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70 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2020
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
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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18 years and older
- 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: * Undergoing open gastrointestinal cancer resection (pancreatic or colorectal) * Must understand and read English * Sign a written informed consent and willing to follow protocol requirements * Able to consent to treatment Exclusion Criteria: * Chronic opioid use \> 90 mg MME (morphine milligram equivalents) for more than 7 days * Mechanical bowel obstruction * Active seizure activity after admission * Compromised cognitive function per referring physician and/or inability to cooperate with acupuncture procedure * Direct admission to intensive care unit after operation will result in removal from protocol * Prior intra-abdominal operation in the past 6 months * Any contraindications to acupuncture including infections or inability to access acupoint sites
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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
-
M D Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
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