An interventional study of Auricular Acupressure in Frailty, Thoracic and Prehabilitation, sponsored by University of Chicago. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 50 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-12-09.
Sponsored by University of Chicago · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
Complementary medicine is recognized for its ability to enhance appetite, increase energy, reduce anxiety, decrease pain, and improve sleep, among many other benefits. Acupuncture is among the most frequent types of complementary medicine practiced in the US, and Medicare currently includes back pain as a reimbursable indication for this therapy. Acupuncture-related therapies may enhance efforts at prehabilitation in candidates for major lung resection.
The plan is to use a small number of points for auricular acupressure that are selected to improve overall health, both physical and mental. Auricular acupuncture for management of pain using 5 points, informally referred to as "battlefield acupuncture" has demonstrated significant improvement in acute and chronic pain management. Auricular acupressure using a similarly small number of points has demonstrated improvement in chemotherapy-related disturbed sleep, fatigue, and appetite, postpartum depression and fatigue, and chemotherapy related fatigue and depression. It appears that auricular acupressure may be suitable for enhancing prehabilitation interventions for preoperative patients.
Patients will be selected from among individuals being considered for major lung surgery (wedge resection, segmentectomy, lobectomy, bilobectomy, or pneumonectomy; open or minimally invasive) who are expected to pursue a period of prehabilitation of 2 or more weeks prior to surgery.
1,199 studies on the registry are indexed under Frailty; 430 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 40 is below the median of 80 across 681 interventional studies indexed under Frailty.
Browse Frailty studies →University of Chicago is the lead sponsor of 907 studies on the registry; 182 are open to participants now.
Of its 99 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 68 (69%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
A random number card will be drawn in sequence from a box. Even numbered cards will assign the patient to the experimental group, odd numbered cards will assign the patient to the control group. o Intervention group seed points: 1. Shen Men (anxiety, depression, stress, pain) 2. Point 0 (homeostasis, energy, mood) 3. Endocrine (hormonal homeostasis) 4. Subcortex (insomnia, anxiety, pain, inflammation) 5. Autonomic (autonomic balance, pain)
Other: Auricular Acupressure
A random number card will be drawn in sequence from a box. Even numbered cards will assign the patient to the experimental group, odd numbered cards will assign the patient to the control group. o Control group sham seed points: 1. Inside edge, center of tragus 2. Helix midway between apex and tubercle 3. Helix 1 cm anterior to apex 4. 5 mm anterior to Shen Men 5. Covered, 5 mm anterior and superior to endocrine For the sham intervention (Sham Type II, same intervention with seeding and intermittent pressing) the seeds are placed at nonacupressure points for the control group.
Other: Auricular Acupressure
Seeds will be placed during the clinic visit by the acupuncturist or the research associate according to the group the patient was assigned to. The care partner will observe the placement. A photograph of the seed placement will be taken and given to the care partner and to the patient after the relevant points are labeled by number or letter. The method of pressing is demonstrated for 1 one of the seeds, the care partner practices pressing on 2 other seeds, and the patient practices pressing on the remaining 2 seeds. Pressing consists of applying pressure, gradually increasing the pressure until the patient expresses discomfort, and maintaining that pressure until 2 minutes have passed. After pressing has been performed for each seed, the seeds are removed in clinic prior to clinic discharge.
Number of patients enrolled
The patient will complete a form after each seed pressing confirming the pressing and the time.
Time frame: 2 weeks
Ease of participation in the study.
The patient will complete a form after each seed pressing confirming the pressing and the time.
Time frame: End of Study (Week 4)
Accuracy of seed placement by a non-professional care partner.
The care partner will place the seeds and then send a photo to the research team for correct seed placement verification or correction on a weekly basis. Accuracy of seed placement will be assessed by determining the number of corrections required to achieve seed placement each week.
Time frame: Weekly until Week 4
The change of the intervention prehabilitation results
Compared to the control group, the intervention will demonstrate better increases in endurance, function, mood, breathing capacity, and strength.
Time frame: End of Study (Week 4)
Plan to share: No
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
University of Chicago