Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine for Long COVID

NCT07285707 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: VINJ011
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 10
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

List of the Hypothesis: Primary hypothesis: A flexible acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine protocol will be feasible, acceptable, and useful for the treatment of long COVID. Secondary hypothesis: Long COVID patients receiving acupuncture treatment or acupuncture treatment and Chinese herbal supplements over an 8-week period will see improvements in their symptoms, function, and quality of life measurements. Specific Aims of This Research (Purpose of the study): To study the feasibility, acceptability and utility of an acupuncture and Chinese herbal supplement treatment protocol for patients with long COVID and preliminarily assess the effects of treatment. Currently Available Research on This Subject: Studies indicate that acupuncture can effectively treat symptoms that are similar to those often seen in long COVID patients. Additionally, recent studies and clinical evidence suggest that there is substantial potential for acupuncture in the treatment of long COVID. Acupuncture may be beneficial because it can address many symptoms simultaneously with a single intervention, whereas symptom clusters can be difficult to manage with pharmaceuticals due to the need for multiple pharmaceutical agents. Summary of the research protocol/methodology: Five patients will receive acupuncture treatment, and five patients will receive acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Each participant will receive 16 acupuncture treatments over the course of eight weeks (i.e., twice per week). Each treatment session will last for 30 minutes. Follow-up will occur at 12 weeks (i.e., four weeks after the final treatment session). Significance of this research to the health and welfare of general public: There is currently not a single, specific treatment for long COVID. If acupuncture treatment alone and/or acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine combined are feasible, acceptable, and efficacious in the improvement of long COVID symptoms, it will offer patients additional treatment options, which may help some patients to avoid pharmaceutical treatment side effects or polypharmacy challenges.

Conditions

Long COVID

Keywords

long covid; acupuncture for long COVID; Chinese medicine for long COVID; Chinese herbal medicine for long COVID; acupuncture; Chinese herbal medicine

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Feasibility of Implementing a Combined Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine Intervention for long COVID

  Feasibility will be measured through a feasibility assessment questionnaire which will evaluate recruitment, retention, and adherence metrics across the 12-week intervention and the final follow-up. Feasibility indicators will be summarized as proportions and descriptive statistics to evaluate the practicality of the study procedures and protocol implementation.

  From enrollment to the final follow-up at 12 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (13)

• Patient-Reported Acceptability of the Study Procedures and Treatments

  Week 12 (final follow-up).

• Clinician-Reported Acceptability of the Study Protocol

  Week 12 (final follow-up).

• Change in Health-Related Quality of Life Measured by PROMIS-29 v2.1

  Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, and Week 12.

• Change in Symptom Burden Measured by the Symptom Burden Questionnaire for Long COVID (SBQ™-LC)

  Baseline, Week 8, and Week 12.

• Change in Whole Health Person Index (WHPI)

  Baseline, Week 8, and Week 12.

Study Arms (1)

Pragmatic experimental arm

EXPERIMENTAL

Single-arm study looking at feasibility and acceptability of acupuncture treatment for 5 patients and acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for 5 patients

Procedure: Acupuncture

Interventions

Acupuncture PROCEDURE

The investigators have developed a list of core acupoints, which will be used by all clinicians for each specific TCM diagnosis pattern identified in each patient. Similarly, a list of common herbal formulas, that we will keep in stock based on the specific diagnosis patterns, has been developed. Clinicians will have the option of using additional acupoints as necessary and will be asked to record and explain any variations from the core protocol. 1. Residual Heat: LI-11, KI-6;Bai He Gu Jin Tang 2. Residual Phlegm: ST-40, Sp-9;Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang,Er Chen Tang 3. Deficiency of Spleen: SP-3, ST-36;Gui Pi Tang,Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang 4. Lung Qi Deficiency with Dampness: LU-9, LU-7;Zhi Sou San,Er Chen Tang 5. Blood Stagnation: SP-10, SP-6;Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang,Tao Hong Si Wu Tang 6. Deficiency of Lung: LU-9, LU-7; Bu Fei Tang 7. Liver Qi Stagnation: LV-3, PC-6;Xiao Yao San, Chai Hu Shu Gan Tang 8. Yin Deficiency: KI-6, SP-6;Liu Wei Di Huang Wan 9. Deficiency of Kidney: KI-3, KI-6;

Pragmatic experimental arm

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• years of age or older
• We will include adults of any age in our study. Adults of all ages can experience long COVID symptoms, although it is more common in older adults
• Confirmed and documented COVID-19 illness (confirmed by healthcare provider or test; acceptable documentation includes but is not limited to a doctor's note or a photo of test result)
• COVID-19 illness is a necessary precursor to the development of long COVID
• Experiencing at least one of the following common long COVID symptoms for at least 4 weeks after confirmed COVID-19 illness:
• Fatigue or post-exertional malaise,
• Dyspnea, cough,
• Brain fog, sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety,
• Arthralgia, myalgia, or
• Constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain
• The symptoms were not present prior to the confirmed COVID-19 illness
• o If the symptoms were present prior to the confirmed COVID-19 illness, then they are most likely attributable to a cause other than long COVID
• Willingness to comply with the treatment schedule
• o It is important that all those who qualify for the study are willing to comply with the protocol that is being adopted. If the patient is not willing to attend acupuncture treatment sessions or comply with the supplement schedule, then they may not be enrolled in the study.
• Ability to read and understand English o Informed consent will be in the English language. Inability to read and understand English will interfere with provision of informed consent. Moreover, compliance is a potential issue with herbal supplementation. Recruiting patients who are able to read and understand English instructions for supplement intake will help to improve compliance with the protocol.

You may not qualify if:

• Under 18 years of age
• Pulmonary fibrosis or on continuous oxygen treatment
• Certain preexisting conditions:
• Diagnosed with Alzheimer's or demonstrating onset of dementia
• Uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, or autoimmune conditions
• Other comorbid conditions that might imitate long COVID symptoms
• Undergoing cancer treatments
• Use of acupuncture or Chinese medicine in the past three months
• Involved in health-related litigation or legal claims
• Missing either baseline visit and deemed unlikely to comply with the study protocol
• Pregnant or breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Southern California University of Health Sciences: lead

Study Sites (1)

SCUHS

Whittier, California, 90604, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome

Interventions

Acupuncture Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

COVID-19; Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; Virus Diseases; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Post-Infectious Disorders; Chronic Disease; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics

Central Study Contacts

S. Prasad Vinjamury, MD (Ayurveda) DACM, MPH

CONTACT

562-947-8755; prasad@scuhs.edu

Leah Grout, PhD, MPH

CONTACT

562-902-3365; leahgrout@scuhs.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 1, 2025
• First Posted: December 16, 2025
• Study Start: September 10, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Last Updated: December 16, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)