Biophysical Assessments of Acupuncture Points in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Starting soon

Conditions studied: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

In brief

Acupuncture points or acupoints are fundamental to the practice of acupuncture, yet their scientific basis remains unclear. According to traditional explanations of acupuncture, acupoints can become tender or more sensitive to pressure when there is an underlying disease of the body. Findings from recent basic animal studies support this traditional theory. For example, compared to healthy control animals, models of colitis have shown increased skin temperature, blood flow, and pain sensitivity at specific body regions that correspond to the location of acupoints that are commonly used in acupuncture treatment for colitis. However, little is known about whether these findings apply to humans.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07681895

Run by

Brigham and Women's Hospital

People needed

100

Starts

2026-08-01

Expected to finish

2027-11-30

Last updated by the study team

2026-07-02

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.