Double-blind (practitioner-patient masking) trial of acupuncture needles: does patient reaction reveal needle authenticity?

Research for effects of acupuncture stimulation on somatosensory function and somatic nerve reflex

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN81864187

Enrollment

Registered

2008-07-03

Start date

2002-09-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2015-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Healthy subjects Not Applicable

Interventions

24 men and 6 women were recruited, mean (SD) age = 31.0 (9.8) years. This study was conducted to determine the frequency in which the penetrating needle elicits pain in the participant, and whether

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Both males and females 2. Healthy volunteers 3. Age range: 18 - 55 years

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Unhealthy volunteers

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
The practitoner recorded the following after each needle application: 1. Clues that led to acupuncturist's identification of authenticity of the needle, these included facial expression, body movement, verbal expression, bleeding, and no bleeding, in addition to the feeling of needle insertion and feeling of needle removal. 2. Acupuncturist's confidence in identification of needle authenticity (i.e., the degree of certainty about his judgment) on a numerical rating scale (0 for no confidence and 100 for complete confidence)	—

Measure

Time frame

The practitoner recorded the following after each needle application: 1. Clues that led to acupuncturist's identification of authenticity of the needle, these included facial expression, body movement, verbal expression, bleeding, and no bleeding, in addition to the feeling of needle insertion and feeling of needle removal. 2. Acupuncturist's confidence in identification of needle authenticity (i.e., the degree of certainty about his judgment) on a numerical rating scale (0 for no confidence and 100 for complete confidence)

—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Subjects' identification of the authenticity of the needles.	—

Countries

Japan

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026