An interventional study of Electroacupuncture (EA) and Electroacupuncture Combined With Warm Needling (EAWN) in Tinnitus and Tinnitus, Subjective, sponsored by Lai Fun HO, PhD. Completed at 3 sites in China. Open to participants aged 50 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-05-25.
Sponsored by Lai Fun HO, PhD · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of either electroacupuncture alone or combined with warm needling in reducing tinnitus loudness and improving the impairment caused by tinnitus in Hong Kong.
This study is a prospective, multicenter, assessor-blind, three-arm, parallel-group, randomized waitlist-controlled trial. A total of 90 eligible subjects with tinnitus will be recruited and randomly assigned to electroacupuncture (EA), electroacupuncture combined with warm needling (EAWN) or waitlist control with n=30 subjects each group. The entire study period will last for 10 weeks, including a 5-week intervention period and a 5-week follow-up period. Outcome measures include the loudness of tinnitus and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. Any adverse event will be observed and recorded for safety assessment. The study findings will provide evidence to determine the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture with or without combined warm needling for tinnitus in Hong Kong.
412 studies on the registry are indexed under Tinnitus; 87 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 90 is above the median of 60 across 339 interventional studies indexed under Tinnitus.
Browse Tinnitus studies →This is the only study on the registry with Lai Fun HO, PhD as lead sponsor.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Subjects assigned to EA group will receive EA treatment twice weekly for 5 weeks.
Procedure: Electroacupuncture (EA)
Subjects assigned to EAWN group will receive EAWN treatment twice weekly for 5 weeks.
Procedure: Electroacupuncture Combined With Warm Needling (EAWN)
Subjects assigned to waitlist control group will not receive treatment during the 10-week waiting period after baseline assessment.
Other: Waitlist Control
Electroacupuncture (EA) treatment following standardized procedures will be conducted for 2 sessions per week for 5 consecutive weeks. Each session of treatment will last for 25 min. The acupoints that will be stimulated are Tinggong (SI19) and Yifeng (TE17) of the affected side, Baihui (GV20) and Yintang (GV24+), bilateral posterior temporal line (MS11), and Zhongzhu (TE3) and Zusanli (ST36) of the affected side. For electroacupuncture (EA), electrical stimulation will be applied using an EA apparatus, with pairs of electrodes connecting the needles at ipsilateral SI19 and TE17, GV20 and GV24+, and bilateral MS11.
Electroacupuncture combined with warm needling (EAWN) treatment following standardized procedures will be conducted for 2 sessions per week for 5 consecutive weeks. Each session of treatment will last for 25 min. The acupoints that will be stimulated are SI19 and TE17 (affected side), GV20 and GV24+, bilateral MS11, and TE3 and ST36 (affected side). For electroacupuncture (EA), electrical stimulation will be applied using an EA apparatus, with pairs of electrodes connecting the needles at ipsilateral SI19 and TE17, GV20 and GV24+, and bilateral MS11. For warm needling (WN), two moxa sticks will be ignited and attached one by one to the needle handle of each acupoint of SI19 and TE17.
No treatment will be provided during the 10-week waiting period after baseline assessment.
Change in Tinnitus Loudness
A 0-10 numeric rating scale (NRS) will be used for rating loudness of tinnitus. Higher score indicates greater tinnitus loudness and its influence.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 5, and Week 10
Change in Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI)
THI is a 25-item self-report measure to determine tinnitus handicap severity with good reliability and validity. The THI total score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher score denoting higher level of severity.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 5, and Week 10
Adverse Events
Any adverse event related to study treatment will be recorded and analyzed throughout the study period.
Time frame: Up to 10 weeks
Plan to share: No
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This study is completed, as verified in May 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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