Laser acupuncture may soothe itching in kidney patients
NCT ID NCT06875115
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether laser acupuncture can reduce severe itching in people on dialysis. Sixty patients were split into two groups: one received real laser acupuncture on specific acupoints during dialysis sessions, and the other received a sham (fake) laser treatment. Itching severity was measured before and after four weeks of treatment using a standard itch scale.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- laser acupuncture
- What this could lead to
- If effective, laser acupuncture could offer a non-drug option to ease severe itching in dialysis patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with 60 participants. Results may not apply to all patients, and the effect may be modest or due to placebo.
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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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60 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Apr 2024
- Finished
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Apr 2025
- 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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20 to 90 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: * Age ≥ 20 years. * Intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels \< 68 pg/mL (patients with -thyroidectomy excluded). * Urea nitrogen (BUN) clearance rate (Kt/V) ≥ 1.2 at each dialysis session. * Serum phosphate levels \< 5.5 mg/dL. * Receiving hemodialysis three times weekly for at least three consecutive months. * No history of acute illnesses like infections or cardiovascular disease. * Avoiding a high-phosphorus diet. * Adjusting dialysate calcium concentration to 8.6-10 mg/dL. * Replacing the artificial kidney or increasing dialysis blood flow Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant or nursing. * History of photosensitivity. * Recent use of systemic or local medications for pruritus (e.g., immunosuppressants, opioid agonists/antagonists, glucocorticoids, antihistamines, ultraviolet B therapy). * Hepatobiliary dysfunction based on medical history and liver function tests. * Malignancies. * Other itchy skin conditions diagnosed by a dermatologist. * Wounds near acupuncture points, contraindicating laser acupuncture
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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
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Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital
Dalin, Chiayi, 622, Taiwan
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