Efficacy Evaluation of Electroacupuncture in the Treatment of Functional Dyspepsia

Starting soon · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Functional Dyspepsia, Electroacupuncture

In brief

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common disorder that causes stomach discomfort, such as fullness or pain after eating, without any visible structural disease. Acupuncture is often used to manage these symptoms. This study aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of electroacupuncture-a form of acupuncture that uses gentle electrical stimulation-for treating functional dyspepsia. Specifically, the trial will compare the benefits of applying electroacupuncture to points on the abdomen (local points) versus points on the arms and legs (distal points), alongside a control group receiving a sham (inactive) treatment. The goal is to determine the most effective acupuncture strategy for improving patients' digestive symptoms and overall quality of life.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07496580

Run by

The Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University

People needed

105

Starts

2026-03-01

Expected to finish

2027-12-31

Last updated by the study team

2026-03-27

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 80. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Participants who meet the Rome IV diagnostic criteria for functional dyspepsia (FD).
• Age 18 to 80 years, male or female.
• Chinese patients with a normal upper gastrointestinal endoscopy within the past 1 year, or judged by a gastroenterologist with more than 3 years of clinical experience to have no structural disease that explains the symptoms.
• Willing and able to provide written informed consent and comply with study procedures.

You may not qualify if…

• Functional dyspepsia symptoms caused by severe or malignant diseases (e.g., liver cirrhosis, heart failure, or gastrointestinal tumors).
• Helicobacter pylori infection, defined as a positive urea breath test or positive Hp test on endoscopy.
• History of gastrointestinal surgery (except minimally invasive procedures such as laparoscopy).
• Presence of a permanent or temporary cardiac pacemaker or use of external/temporary pacing support.
• Use of medications that may affect dyspepsia symptoms within 2 weeks prior to enrollment, including antisecretory drugs, antacids, prokinetic agents, digestive enzymes, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, or traditional Chinese medicine for FD.
• Conditions that may make participation difficult, such as severe mental or physical illness, dementia, or illiteracy.
• Severe coagulation disorders.
• Acupuncture treatment for gastrointestinal diseases within the past 1 month.
• Participation in another clinical trial within the past 2 months.
• Drug abuse or alcohol abuse.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Where it is running

• Hangzhou First People's Hospital — Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
• Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, affiliated with the Zhejiang University School of Medicine — Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
• The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University — Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
• The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medicinal University — Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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