Acupuncture vs Sham Acupuncture for Hand Osteoarthritis
Key facts
- Where
- Beijing, ChinaSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 80 years old?
Source: NCT05267093, who can take part
Where in China
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Guang'anmen HospitalBeijing, ChinaContact: Hangyu ShiTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorTrial details
- Who runs it
- Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences
- Trial code
- NCT05267093
- Record updated
- 10 September 2026
- Original description
The investigators plan to conduct this multicentered, sham-controlled randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for clinical symptomatic improvement of hand OA.Read full original descriptionShow less
Efficacy of Acupuncture for Patients With Hand Osteoarthritis: a Randomized, Sham-controlled Trial
The investigators plan to conduct this multicentered, sham-controlled randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for clinical symptomatic improvement of hand OA.
Inclusion: Diagnosed as hand OA according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) clinical classification criteria; History of hand OA for at least 3 months before enrollment and history of taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat hand OA; Aged 18-80 years; At least 40 mm in visual analog scale (VAS) on the average pain intensity of the dominant hand over the last 48 hours (patients applying NSAIDs at the screening have to have an increase in pain in the dominant hand of ≥ 20 mm after 1-week washout); Posterior-anterior radiographs of the dominant hand shows Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1, 2, or 3 changes in symptomatic joints; Negative results in both rheumatoid factor and anticyclonic citrullinated peptide; Able to comply with the study protocol and understand the medical information forms; Voluntarily sign the informed consent.
Exclusion: History of trauma, dislocation or operation to the hand or arm in the previous 3 months; Intake of antidepressants, anticonvulsants, vascular or narcotics during the 10 days prior to beginning the study; Oral, intramuscular, intra-articular or intravenous corticosteroids, or hyaluronic acid injection within 3 months preceding enrollment; Known phobic to acupuncture or received acupuncture treatment within 4 weeks prior to enrollment; History or current evidence of secondary OA (due to causes other than a solely degenerative joint disease) or symptomatic OA at additional locations besides the hand(s) requiring treatment, or any painful syndrome of the upper limb which may interfere with evaluation of hand pain; History of inflammatory arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or psoriatic arthritis), hemochromatosis, metabolic, or neuropathic arthropathies; Skin damage or serious skin disorders in the hands; Serious uncontrolled medical conditions such as cancer, uncontrolled cardiovascular disorder, severe hepatic/renal insufficiency or coagulation disorder; Hand pain and stiffness due to tissue scarring or tendinitis.