Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine for Long COVID (NCT07285707)
Acupuncture for Long COVID - A Pragmatic Pilot Study
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
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.
Who can join: Review the eligibility criteria below.
Location: SCUHS — Whittier, California
Age range: 18 Years
🧪 Interventions in This Study
- Acupuncture (PROCEDURE)
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistFull eligibility criteria are available on the official NIH protocol. View the criteria ↗
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (1 Sites)
- SCUHS — Whittier, California
📞 Contact the Study Coordinator
Phone: (562) 947-8755
Email: prasad@scuhs.edu
Coordinator details come directly from the registered NIH protocol. Confirm the study is still recruiting before traveling.
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.
More studies in Long COVID
- Ensitrelvir for Viral Persistence and Inflammation in People Experiencing Long COVID — San Francisco, California
- The Long COVID Treatment Trial — La Jolla, California
- tVNS in Long COVID-19 — New York, New York
- Nutritional Management of Post COVID-19 Cognitive Symptoms — Edmonton, Alberta
- Pain in Long COVID-19: the Role of Sleep — Boston, Massachusetts
- Long COVID Immune Profiling — Nashville, Tennessee
Explore by condition: All Long COVID clinical trials
💡 How to Participate
- Check the checklist above to see if you may qualify.
- Contact the study coordinator using the phone/email above.
- Ask about the visit schedule, what is covered at no cost, and any travel support.
- Confirm with your own doctor before making a decision.