Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01302769

Ear Acupuncture for Acute Sore Throat.

The purpose of this study is to compare ear acupuncture plus standard of care versus standard therapy (anti-inflammatory medications) in the reduction of pain, reduction in oral anti inflammatory medication use, hours lost from work in acute sore throat.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Acute Sore Throat

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hosptial

Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, 89191, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion:

  • Male and female subjects (DoD beneficiaries), 18 years or older, with upper respiratory complaints and their primary symptom being acute sore throat.
  • Minimum pain score of 5 points on an 11 point scale (0-10 with 10 being the worst pain)

Exclusion:

  • History of significant gastrointestinal bleed
  • Previous documented history of stage 2 kidney disease or worse
  • Known Pregnancy
  • History of gastric bypass surgery
  • Known Peritonsillar abscess (PTA)
  • Throat, mouth or esophageal cancer
  • Chronic oral steroids use
  • Absence of one or more ears
  • Active cellulitis of ear
  • Ear anatomy precluding identification of acupuncture landmarks
  • Non-English speaking
  • Use of Hearing Aids that preclude the use of ear acupuncture
  • Allergy to Ibuprofen

Treatment and study plan

Standard treatment plus ear acupuncture

Device

Standard treatment plus ear acupuncture

Other names: Sedatelec ASP Original Gold needles

Primary outcomes

  1. Reduction in Pain

    Time frame: 48 hours per subject

    Subjects will be randomized to receive either standard treatment alone or standard treatment plus ear acupuncture.

    Subjects will be asked 15 minutes after their treatment to assess their pain on a likert scale of 0-10. After the subject has left the clinic, phone calls will be made at 6 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours to assess their pain level.

    Scale: 11-point scale of 0-10 with 10 being the worst pain.

    Subjects who report back after 48 hours with unimproved sore throat will be instructed to make a same day follow up with the clinic.

  2. Ibuprofen Doses Taken

    Time frame: 48 hours per subject

    Subjects will be randomized to receive either standard treatment alone or standard treatment plus ear acupuncture.

    After the subject has left the clinic, phone calls will be made at 6 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours to ask the number of doses of ibuprofen taken.

  3. Missed Work Hours

    Time frame: 48 hours per subject

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Mike O'Callaghan Military Hospital

Fed

Registry information

Official study title

Ear Acupuncture for Acute Sore Throat. A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Important dates

Study start
2011
Primary completion
2014
Study completion
2014
First posted
Feb 24, 2011
Registry last updated
Feb 12, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.