Trials by therapeutic agent

Acupuncture clinical trials

9 post-viral trials on ClinicalTrials.gov · updated October 2026

Last updated 07 October 2026 from ClinicalTrials.gov. Trial statuses are refreshed automatically; check the registry record for the latest status and contact details.

9 trials4 open to enrolment3 completed2 unknown status

All interventional trials in our ClinicalTrials.gov extract that list Acupuncture as an intervention, across Long COVID / PASC (6), ME/CFS (3). 4 are currently open to enrolment and 3 have completed. Read the OSMF evidence profile for Acupuncture for literature, mechanism and dosing context.

Intervention names are normalised from the registry's own arm labels, so the same compound can appear under a brand name, a generic name or a combination; check the full agent index for related entries.

⚠️
Not medical advice. This page is an automatically compiled index of entries on ClinicalTrials.gov. Listing here is not an endorsement of any trial, sponsor or treatment, and trial status can change between our refreshes. Always confirm details on ClinicalTrials.gov and discuss participation with your own clinician.

Recruiting (2)

RecruitingPhase not applicable NCT07285707
Sponsor: Southern California University of Health Sciences (Academic / non-profit / other)
Intervention(s): Acupuncture
Condition group: Long COVID / PASC
Start: Sep 2025  |  Primary completion: Dec 2026  |  Enrollment: 10 (estimated)
Record last updated: Dec 2025

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.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
RecruitingPhase not applicable NCT06633666
Sponsor: Hong Kong Baptist University (Academic / non-profit / other)
Intervention(s): Acupuncture
Condition group: Long COVID / PASC
Start: Jul 2023  |  Primary completion: Jan 2026  |  Enrollment: 160 (estimated)
Record last updated: Nov 2024

In this study, a 12-week pragmatic, randomized, double-blinded clinical trial will be conducted to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of long Covid neuropsychiatric symptoms and provide reference for clinical non-drug treatment.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not yet recruiting (2)

Not yet recruitingPhase not applicable NCT07357688
Sponsor: Xi Wu (Academic / non-profit / other)
Intervention(s): Acupuncture
Condition group: ME/CFS
Start: May 2026  |  Primary completion: Dec 2027  |  Enrollment: 99 (estimated)
Record last updated: Jan 2026

Background of study: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a common sequela after SARS-CoV-2 infection(COVID-19). Cognitive dysfunction is one of the most common debilitating symptoms in ME/CFS. Currently, standardized therapy for ME/CFS has not been established.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Not yet recruitingPhase not applicable NCT07355751
Sponsor: Tingting Luo (Academic / non-profit / other)
Intervention(s): Acupuncture
Condition group: Long COVID / PASC
Start: May 2026  |  Primary completion: Dec 2027  |  Enrollment: 108 (estimated)
Record last updated: Jan 2026

Background of study: Long COVID(LC) is a prevalent sequalae of SARS-CoV-2 infection and can affect multiple organ systems. Cognitive dysfunction is one of the most common symptoms in LC with 22% prevalence. It can persist for years and significantly reduce patients' quality of life.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Completed (3)

CompletedPhase not applicable NCT06476496
Sponsor: University of Washington (Academic / non-profit / other)
Intervention(s): Acupuncture
Condition group: Long COVID / PASC
Start: Jun 2024  |  Primary completion: Mar 2025  |  Enrollment: 93 (actual)
Record last updated: May 2026

The goal of this preliminary study is to test methods and procedures to be used in a fully-powered trial to evaluate acupuncture treatment effectiveness. Specifically, we will test the feasibility of conducting a 2-arm randomized clinical trial for evaluating the effectiveness of acupuncture for pain in patients with long COVID.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
CompletedPhase 2 NCT05212688
Sponsor: Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust (Academic / non-profit / other)
Intervention(s): Acupuncture
Condition group: Long COVID / PASC
Start: Jul 2022  |  Primary completion: Sep 2024  |  Enrollment: 119 (actual)
Record last updated: Oct 2024

The Covid pandemic has left us with a significant number of people suffering from Long COVID, which is a clinical diagnosis of significant and varying ongoing symptoms at least 12 weeks following COVID-19 infection and characterised frequently by fatigue and breathlessness. Acupuncture has been shown to help breathlessness and fatigue in other conditions including in patients with cancer.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
CompletedPhase not applicable NCT01534130
Sponsor: Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Academic / non-profit / other)
Intervention(s): Acupuncture
Condition group: ME/CFS
Start: Apr 2011  |  Primary completion: Aug 2012  |  Enrollment: 72 (actual)
Record last updated: Feb 2020

The investigators will conduct acupuncture for participants with chronic fatigue syndrome(CFS). Firstly the investigators aim to figure out the characteristic of sleep structure of CFS and the changes caused by acupuncture.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Unknown status (2)

Unknown statusPhase not applicable NCT05890508
Sponsor: Hong Kong Baptist University (Academic / non-profit / other)
Intervention(s): Acupuncture
Condition group: Long COVID / PASC
Start: Mar 2024  |  Primary completion: Jan 2026  |  Enrollment: 150 (estimated)
Record last updated: May 2024

In this study, a 16-week randomized, sham-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial will be conducted to to investigate the efficacy and safety of electro-acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture for treatment of long covid neuropsychiatric symptoms.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Unknown statusPhase 2 NCT02924831
Sponsor: Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Preventive Treatment by Acupuncture and Moxibust (Academic / non-profit / other)
Intervention(s): Acupuncture, Moxibustion
Condition group: ME/CFS
Start: Nov 2016  |  Primary completion: May 2018  |  Enrollment: 210 (estimated)
Record last updated: Oct 2016

1. To study the relationship between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and heart rate (HR) and its variability (HRV). 2.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Frequently asked questions

How do I join a clinical trial?

Open the trial's ClinicalTrials.gov record (the "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" button), read the Eligibility Criteria and Contacts and Locations sections, and contact the study team listed there. Trials only enrol at the sites shown in the record, so check whether a site is near you or whether the study is remote/decentralised. Your own clinician can help you judge whether a trial is a sensible option and may need to provide medical records.

What do the trial phases mean?

Early Phase 1 / Phase 1 studies test safety and dosing in a small group. Phase 2 studies look for a signal of benefit in a larger group and keep checking safety. Phase 3 studies are large confirmatory trials designed to show whether a treatment works well enough for approval. Phase 4 studies follow approved treatments after they reach the market. "Phase not applicable" is used by the registry for behavioural, device, rehabilitation and other non-drug interventions.

Does the Open Source Medicine Foundation run these trials?

No. OSMF does not sponsor, run or recruit for any trial on this page. We compile public registry entries from ClinicalTrials.gov so patients and clinicians can find them in one place. For questions about a specific study, contact the sponsor or study team listed on its ClinicalTrials.gov record.

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Cite this page
Open Source Medicine Foundation. Acupuncture clinical trials for Long COVID, ME/CFS and post-viral illness (9 trials, updated October 2026). Research Tracker, 07 October 2026. https://research.opensourcemed.info/trials/by-agent/acupuncture.html
Underlying dataset (JSON, CC BY 4.0): https://research.opensourcemed.info/data/clinical_trials/clinical_trials_current.json. Source records: ClinicalTrials.gov.

Related: all agents · recruiting Long COVID trials · recruiting ME/CFS trials · open in trial finder.