Tuning forks instead of needles: new hope for chemo nerve pain?
NCT ID NCT07187986
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tested whether sound acupuncture — using tuning forks on energy points instead of needles — can reduce nerve pain caused by chemotherapy. Forty adults with chemotherapy-induced neuropathy took part. Half received standard medical therapy alone, and half received standard therapy plus sound acupuncture. The study is now complete.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- sound acupuncture (tuning forks applied to acupuncture points)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-needle option to help manage nerve pain from chemotherapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with only 40 people, so results may not apply widely. The effect may be small or due to placebo.
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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40 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2022
- Finished
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Jul 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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30 to 80 years
- Sex
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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 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: * Age 30-80 years * Clinical and electrophysiological diagnosis of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy * Patients being treated with Best Medical Therapy for neuropathic pain * Written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding * Patients with intellectual disabilities or cognitive impairment that impair their ability to comply with the consent process * Pacemaker users
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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
-
E.O. Ospedali Galliera
Genoa, Liguria, 16128, Italy
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Retraining the senses to fight chemotherapy nerve damage
- Retraining the senses to fight chemotherapy nerve damage
- Chilling out Chemo's side effects: could cold therapy shield nerves?
- Essential oils vs. chemo nerve pain: a natural remedy put to the test