Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Interventional Ages 18 to 75

Ear pressure points plus pain meds for faster kidney stone pain relief

Official title: Auricular Acupoint Embedding as Adjunctive Therapy to NSAIDs for Accelerated Relief of Renal Colic in Urolithiasis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Run by Changhai Hospital · NCT06978816 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study will see if adding ear acupressure to usual NSAID pain medicine helps adults with kidney stone pain feel better faster.

More Renal Colic trials

Quick facts

Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years to 75 Years
SexAll
Enrollment116 (estimated)
SponsorChanghai Hospital
Academic / other
Locations1 site (Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality)
StatusRecruiting
StartedJune 1, 2025
Main results expectedJune 1, 2026
Study endsDecember 1, 2026
Registry record updatedMarch 18, 2026
Trial IDNCT06978816 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Adults about 18–75 years old with kidney stones confirmed by CT or ultrasound, experiencing moderate-to-severe renal colic, who have not taken analgesics recently and have no allergy to NSAIDs.

Probably not a fit

People allergic to NSAIDs, pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, those who took pain medicine within the past hours, or those with severe medical conditions or prior severe acupuncture reactions are unlikely to benefit.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This randomized emergency-department study compares real auricular acupoint embedding (tiny needles on three ear points) plus a standard NSAID injection (ketorolac) to a sham ear procedure plus the same NSAID. Adults with confirmed kidney stones and moderate-to-severe pain will rate their pain on a 0–10 scale repeatedly over the first 60 minutes after treatment while vital signs are monitored. The trial also records any side effects to compare safety between real and sham procedures. The procedure is delivered at a single center during emergency care.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could speed pain relief in the emergency room and reduce the need for additional pain medication.

How similar studies have gone: Some small trials and reviews report modest pain benefit from acupuncture or acupressure in acute pain, but auricular acupressure specifically for renal colic is not well-established.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age between 15 and 75 years (inclusive)
2. Diagnosis of urinary tract stones confirmed by CT or ultrasound
3. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score ≥ 4 (indicating moderate to severe renal colic)
4. No severe cardiac, hepatic, or pulmonary dysfunction, and no coagulation disorders.
5. No psychiatric disorders

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Use of any analgesic medication within the past 6 hours.
2. Allergy to NSAIDs, morphine, or anisodamine (scopolamine derivatives)
3. History of asthma, urticaria, congestive heart failure, acute ischemic heart disease, acute cerebrovascular disease, or increased intracranial pressure
4. Active peptic ulcer, pyloric obstruction, or intestinal obstruction
5. Severe adverse reactions to acupuncture in the past
6. Pregnancy or lactation
7. Unwillingness to sign informed consent

Where it's running

  • shanghai Changhai Hospitai
    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
    Recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.