No needles, no drugs: imagined acupuncture tested for Post-Surgery pain
NCT ID NCT07197710
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether watching a video that guides you to imagine acupuncture can reduce pain and the need for painkillers after spinal surgery. 120 adults will either watch the imagery video or an education video daily for a week after surgery. Researchers will compare pain scores, function, and opioid use between the two groups.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VGAIT)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, non-invasive way to manage pain after surgery without needles or extra drugs.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage trial with only 120 participants, and the effect of imagined acupuncture may be small or no better than watching an education video. Results may not apply to other surgeries or pain types.
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
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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 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2025
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
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 1- to 2-level primary spine surgery * Aged 18 years or older * Willing and able to receive postoperative imagined acupuncture (VGAIT) * Able to provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Undergoing revision surgery or procedures involving more than 3 spinal levels * History of prior spinal surgery * Intraoperative complications likely to interfere with postoperative pain assessment * Diagnosed with severe cognitive impairment or psychiatric disorders that impair participation or communication * Pregnant or breastfeeding * Unable to cooperate with treatment or pain assessments Individuals with uncorrectable vision impairment that would interfere with viewing study videos or completing study questionnaires.
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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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Massachusetts General Hospital
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
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