Study protocol

Acupuncture as a treatment for functional dyspepsia: design and methods of a randomized controlled trial

Hui Zheng^1* , Xiao-ping Tian^1* , Ying Li¹ , Fan-rong Liang¹ , Shu-guang Yu¹ , Xu-guang Liu¹ , Yong Tang¹ , Xu-guang Yang¹ , Jie Yan² , Guo-jie Sun³ , Xiao-rong Chang² , Hong-xing Zhang⁴ , Ting-ting Ma¹ and Shu-yuan Yu²

¹  Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China

²  Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, PR China

³  Hubei College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China

⁴  No.1 People's Hospital of Wuhan City, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China

author email corresponding author email* Contributed equally

Trials 2009, 10:75doi:10.1186/1745-6215-10-75

Published:	23 August 2009

Abstract

Background

Acupuncture is widely used in China to treat functional dyspepsia (FD). However, its effectiveness in the treatment of FD, and whether FD-specific acupoints exist, are controversial. So this study aims to determine if acupuncture is an effective treatment for FD and if acupoint specificity exists according to traditional acupuncture meridians and acupoint theories.

Design

This multicenter randomized controlled trial will include four acupoint treatment groups, one non-acupoint control group and one drug (positive control) group. The four acupoint treatment groups will focus on: (1) specific acupoints of the stomach meridian; (2) non-specific acupoints of the stomach meridian; (3) specific acupoints of alarm and transport points; and (4) acupoints of the gallbladder meridian. These four groups of acupoints are thought to differ in terms of clinical efficacy, according to traditional acupuncture meridians and acupoint theories. A total of 120 FD patients will be included in each group. Each patient will receive 20 sessions of acupuncture treatment over 4 weeks. The trial will be conducted in eight hospitals located in three centers of China. The primary outcomes in this trial will include differences in Nepean Dyspepsia Index scores and differences in the Symptom Index of Dyspepsia before randomization, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after randomization, and 1 month and 3 months after completing treatment.

Discussion

The important features of this trial include the randomization procedures (controlled by a central randomization system), a standardized protocol of acupuncture manipulation, and the fact that this is the first multicenter randomized trial of FD and acupuncture to be performed in China. The results of this trial will determine whether acupuncture is an effective treatment for FD and whether using different acupoints or different meridians leads to differences in clinical efficacy.

Trial registration number

Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT00599677.