Ear-Zap device may cut opioid use after spinal surgery
NCT ID NCT07330973
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a non-invasive device that gently stimulates a nerve in the ear to see if it can reduce pain and the need for strong painkillers after complex spinal surgery. About 98 adults having major back surgery will be randomly assigned to receive either the real stimulation or a sham (fake) version. The goal is to find a safer, drug-free way to manage acute post-surgical pain.
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 98 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Dec 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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May 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.
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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: 1. Patients undergoing elective general anesthesia for complex spinal surgeries 2. Age ≥ 18 years 3. ASA classification I-III Exclusion Criteria: 1. Ulceration or infection of the auricle skin 2. Bradycardia (heart rate of \< 60 beats/min) or third-degree atrioventricular block 3. Implanted cardiac pacemaker or other electronic devices 4. Mental disorders or long-term use of psychotropic medications 5. Severe hepatic and renal insufficiency 6. Unable to understand the content of the scale assessment or unable to cooperate with the scale assessment 7. Pregnant or lactating women 8. Expected reoperation during hospitalization 9. Expected to be transferred to the ICU after surgery 10. Participation in other concurrent clinical trials
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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 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.
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a single drug dose curb opioid side effects after kidney stone surgery?
- Can a new Non-Opioid pill cut painkiller needs after throat surgery?
- Can zapping three acupoints rewire the brain to ease surgical pain?
- Can a triage checklist ease pain months after emergency surgery?
- Can a nerve block quiet the brain during gallbladder surgery?