Auricular Point Acupressure for Pain

NCT07852611 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: TAMU-CC-IRB-2025-1443
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to learn whether auricular point acupressure (APA) can help reduce chronic musculoskeletal pain in adults age 50 and older who are living with HIV. The study will also examine whether APA is feasible, acceptable, and safe for this population. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does APA reduce chronic musculoskeletal pain and improve sleep and quality of life? Is APA feasible, acceptable, and safe for older people living with HIV? Researchers will compare true APA, in which small seeds are taped to specific ear points related to pain, with sham APA, in which seeds are taped to ear points not related to pain. The intervention will last 4 weeks. Participants will: Receive true APA or sham APA for 4 weeks Visit the study site weekly for placement of the ear seeds Press the ear seeds for 3 minutes, 3 times each day Complete daily surveys about pain and pain medication use Use a sleep monitor to track sleep Complete study assessments at the beginning and end of the intervention Complete an exit interview about their experience with APA

Conditions

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus); Pain

Keywords

HIV; older adults; chronic musculoskeletal pain; auricular point acupressure; nonpharmacological pain management; complementary and alternative medicine; sleep; randomized controlled trial; feasibility; acceptability

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Pain Intensity Assessed by the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NRS)

  Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NRS), on which participants rate their pain from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst possible pain). Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity. Change in pain intensity from baseline to the end of the 4-week intervention will be compared between the true APA and sham APA groups.

  Baseline and 4 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Health-Related Quality of Life Assessed by the EQ-5D

  Baseline and 4 weeks

• Change in Sleep Quality Assessed by the Withings Sleep Analyzer

  Baseline through 4 weeks

Study Arms (2)

True APA group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants randomized to the true APA arm will receive a 4-week auricular point acupressure intervention targeting designated ear acupoints for chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Other: Auricular Point Acupressure

Sham APA group

SHAM COMPARATOR

Participants randomized to the sham APA arm will receive a 4-week sham auricular point acupressure intervention using ear points not associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain

Other: Sham Auricular Point Acupressure

Interventions

Auricular Point Acupressure OTHER

Participants will receive auricular point acupressure (APA) using Vaccaria seeds secured with adhesive tape to designated ear acupoints for chronic musculoskeletal pain. Both ears will be treated. Participants will be instructed to press the seeds for 3 minutes, 3 times daily. Treatment will continue for 4 weeks, with each weekly cycle consisting of 5 days of wearing the seeds followed by 2 days without the seeds. Seeds will be replaced weekly by trained study personnel.

True APA group

Sham Auricular Point Acupressure OTHER

Participants will receive sham auricular point acupressure using the same materials, treatment schedule, and procedures as the APA group. However, Vaccaria seeds will be placed on non-specific ear points unrelated to chronic musculoskeletal pain. Participants will press the seeds for 3 minutes, 3 times daily for 4 weeks, following the same weekly treatment cycle as the APA group.

Sham APA group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 50 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 50 years or older
• Living with HIV
• Chronic musculoskeletal pain affecting the muscles, joints, or bones for at least 3 months
• Average chronic musculoskeletal pain intensity of ≥4 on a 0-10 Numeric Pain Rating Scale during the past week

You may not qualify if:

• Recent trauma as the primary cause of pain
• Concurrent use of other adjunctive pain therapies, including physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, or acupuncture
• Allergy to latex due to the use of latex-containing tape on the ear points Presence of acute pain

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Dan Song: lead

Study Sites (1)

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, Texas, 78414, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

HIV Infections; Blood-Borne Infections; Communicable Diseases; Infections; Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Lentivirus Infections; Retroviridae Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Slow Virus Diseases; Genital Diseases; Urogenital Diseases; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes; Immune System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Central Study Contacts

Dan Song, PhD, RN

CONTACT

800-555-5555; dan.song@tamucc.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Participants will be masked to treatment assignment. Participants in both groups will receive taped ear seeds using the same treatment schedule and procedures; however, the true APA group will receive seeds placed on designated acupoints for chronic musculoskeletal pain, whereas the sham APA group will receive seeds placed on non-specific ear points unrelated to chronic musculoskeletal pain.
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the true auricular point acupressure (APA) group or the sham APA control group. Both groups will receive a 4-week intervention using taped ear seeds. The true APA group will receive seeds placed on designated ear acupoints for chronic musculoskeletal pain, while the sham APA group will receive seeds placed on non-specific ear points unrelated to chronic musculoskeletal pain. Both groups will follow the same intervention duration, treatment schedule, and study assessments.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 23, 2026
• First Posted: October 1, 2026
• Study Start: October 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2027
• Last Updated: October 1, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)