Feasibility of Body Acupuncture for Stress, Burnout, Sleep Quality and Wellbeing: A Pilot Study

This pilot study evaluates the acceptability, effects, and feasibility of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) body acupuncture in healthcare professionals working in an acute care hospital.

Participants who meet the eligibility criteria and provide informed consent will receive a structured TCM body acupuncture intervention consisting of two 45-minute sessions per week for four consecutive weeks, for a total of eight sessions. The acupuncture treatment will be provided by qualified TCM therapists using sterile, disposable needles.

Participants will complete standardized questionnaires at baseline (T0), after the four-week intervention (T1), and at the end of a four-week follow-up period (T2). The assessments will include perceived stress, burnout/exhaustion, sleep quality, and general wellbeing. A TCM anamnesis and pulse assessment will be conducted at baseline. At follow-up assessments, participants will additionally report their satisfaction with the intervention and their willingness to participate in a similar intervention again or recommend it to others.

The feasibility of the study will be assessed using predefined criteria covering recruitment, adherence to the intervention, organizational feasibility, and completeness and quality of the collected data. Safety will be monitored throughout the study by recording adverse events and serious adverse events.

The study is designed as a pilot study and is intended primarily to assess whether the intervention and study procedures are acceptable and feasible and to provide preliminary information on changes in stress, exhaustion, sleep quality, and wellbeing. The results will inform the design and implementation of a potential larger controlled clinical study.

Inclusion criteria

• Employment as healthcare professional at the acute care hospital (Participants must be employed as a nurse, midwife, or physician at the acute care hospital.)
• Age ≥18 years
• Capacity to provide informed consent (Ability to understand the study information and provide written informed consent.)
• No known contraindications to acupuncture
• Moderate or higher subjective stress (Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) score of ≥14 at screening.)
• Availability for the intervention (Willingness and availability to attend two acupuncture sessions per week for four consecutive weeks.)

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnancy
• Inability to undergo acupuncture (Inability to consent to or tolerate acupuncture treatment, including severe needle phobia or severe coagulation disorder.)
• Nickel allergy
• Severe current psychiatric disorder or acute suicidality (Current diagnosis of a severe psychiatric disorder (e.g., severe depressive episode, bipolar disorder, or psychotic disorder), acute suicidality, or ongoing intensive psychiatric treatment.)
• Concurrent clinical intervention (Participation in another clinical intervention during the study period.)
• Language barriers (Language barriers that would prevent adherence to the study procedures or completion of the study questionnaires.)