An interventional study of Group Acupuncture Intervention in Chronic Pain, sponsored by Duke University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-02.
Sponsored by Duke University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Among 19 studies in Chronic Pain by Duke University — 5 open to participants now, 5 under way, none of them phase 3. Chronic Pain · Duke University.
Among the 19 studies in Chronic Pain by Duke University, this one is the 8th largest by enrollment of the 16 interventional ones, is one of 2 that started in 2024, is one of 14 with no phase, and was the 19th registered.
3,227 studies on the registry are indexed under Chronic Pain; 729 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 103 is above the median of 60 across 2,388 interventional studies indexed under Chronic Pain.
Browse Chronic Pain studies →5 of the 19 studies in Chronic Pain by Duke University are open now, in 1 country. Each count lists the studies.
Of the 486 Chronic Pain studies recruiting now, 239 (49%) set no upper age limit and 173 (36%) stop at 75 or younger; 43 take children under 18; 64 take healthy volunteers.
This study: 18 Years and older · all sexes · no healthy volunteers.
The full table on the hub →19 studies; the count open now beside each. This study's row is marked.
First in 2009; this study’s year is marked. 2 started in 2024.
Median enrollment 99 across the 16 interventional studies, 81 across the 3 observational. Of the 14 that completed or were terminated, 7 (50%) have results posted.
Duke University is the lead sponsor of 2,063 studies on the registry; 273 are open to participants now.
Of its 204 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 167 (82%) have results posted.
3 of the studies in Chronic Pain by Duke University that are under way reach primary completion within a year, 0 of them phase 3. Phase 3 first, then by date:
| Study | Primary completion |
|---|---|
| NCT07525063Duke UniversityPain & Reward Neuromodulation of CNS Circuits | 2026-12 |
| NCT05905419Duke UniversityNeuroimaging of Opioid Phase (OPAL) | 2027-06-30 |
| NCT06747871Duke UniversityOpioids, Low Nicotine Cigarettes, and Chronic Pain | 2027-07-30 |
Among the 19 studies in Chronic Pain by Duke University, from their registry updates:
The goal of this study is to learn if group acupuncture is acceptable and feasible as a treatment for chronic pain in adults living in rural North Carolina, with the aim of improving access to equitable pain care.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Is group acupuncture acceptable (measured by a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews), feasible (measured by recruitment and retention rates), and delivered with fidelity (measured by the proportion of acupuncture sessions attended) among adults with chronic pain in rural North Carolina (Phase 2)?
Adults with chronic pain will:
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
All participants will receive 10 total acupuncture treatments delivered over 6 weeks by a licensed acupuncturist.
Other: Group Acupuncture Intervention
Enrolled participants will receive 10 acupuncture treatments over 6 weeks from licensed acupuncturists in a community group setting. Appointments will be staggered every 15-20 minutes, with participants seated comfortably alongside no more than four others. Using a pragmatic approach within North Carolina licensing standards, the acupuncturist will select distal/peripheral points based on assessment and diagnosis. Needling may involve the head, neck, arms, legs, hands, and feet; trunk points will not be used to maintain modesty. Sterile, disposable needles will remain in place for approximately 20-30 minutes. Electroacupuncture will not be used. For each participant and session, the acupuncturist will document the assessment, points needled, needle-retention time, and any adverse effects.
Intervention Acceptability
We assessed acceptability using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) Questionnaire. 7 TFA constructs are assessed, along with general acceptability items scores. Total score max = 35, with higher scores indicating higher acceptability of healthcare intervention.
Time frame: At completion of study (6 weeks)
Feasibility of Enrollment
we will calculate the proportion of people who were approached for study participation and enrolled
Time frame: Duration of recruitment period, up to approximately 16 months
Feasibility of Data Collection/Retention
We will calculate the percentage of participants who completed the surveys at each data collection time point (baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks) compared to those that did not.
Time frame: From enrollment to completion of study at 6 weeks
Intervention Fidelity
Reported as the proportion (%) of acupuncture sessions attended (out of 10).
Time frame: Duration of recruitment period, up to approximately 16 months
Intervention Acceptability Qualitative Interviews
Interviews were conducted on a subset of participants and included questions assessing participant experiences with the intervention, perceived effectiveness of the intervention, and overall acceptability of the intervention. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, and the transcripts served as the data source.
Time frame: At completion of study (6 weeks)
Pain Impact
PEG Scale Assessing Pain Intensity and Interference (Pain, Enjoyment, General Activity). Score is calculated by adding the scores of its three questions and dividing the total by three to get an average score from 0 to 10.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 weeks, 6 week data collection timepoints
Pain Location
Pain location (selected on body image); location \& number of pain locations summarized based on participant selection on body map image.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks
Neuropathic Pain
PROMIS Neuropathic Pain Quality. T-score generated, with scores ≥ 50 suggesting a likely or prominent neuropathic pain quality phenotype
Time frame: Baseline & 6 weeks data collection timepoints
Nociceptive Pain
PROMIS Nociceptive Pain questionnaire. T-score generate, with a score \>50 suggesting nociceptive pain involvement.
Time frame: Baseline and 6-week data collection timepoint
Pain Self-Efficacy
Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Scored by adding the numerical ratings of all 10 items, resulting in a total score from 0 to 60. Higher scores indicate greater pain self-efficacy.
Time frame: Baseline & 6 week data collection timepoint
Pain Concerns
UW Concerns About Pain 2-item short-form questionnaire. T-score generated, with higher T-score representing higher levels of pain catastrophizing.
Time frame: Baseline & 6-week data collection timepoint
Anxiety
PROMIS Anxiety Short Form (4-item). Scoring using T-score, with higher scores indicating higher levels of symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline, 3-week, and 6-week data collection timepoint.
Depressive Symptoms
PROMIS Depressive Symptoms Short Form (4-item). Scoring using T-score, with higher scores indicating higher levels/burden of symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline, 3-week, and 6-week data collection timepoints
Sleep Disturbances
PROMIS SLeep Disturbances Short-Form (4-item). Scoring using T-score, with higher scores indicating higher severity of sleep disturbance.
Time frame: Baseline, 3-week, and 6-week data collection timepoint
Fatigue
PROMIS Fatigue Short Form (4-item). Scoring using T-score, with higher scores indicating higher levels/burden of fatigue.
Time frame: Baseline, 3-week, and 6-week data collection timepoint.
Global Physical Health
PROMIS Global Health - Physical 2-item form. Scoring using T-score, with higher scores indicating better physical health.
Time frame: Baseline, 3-week, & 6-week data collection timepoints.
Current Pain Medication Use
Assesses if participant is taking medications for pain. If so, questions around the frequency and type of pain medicines an individual is taking.
Time frame: Baseline, 3-week, & 6-week data collection timepoint
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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