Effect of Bagua Auriculotherapy on Pain in Patients Undergoing Hysteroscopy

April 2, 2026 updated by: The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine
To investigate the application of Bagua ear therapy as an adjunctive intervention for perioperative pain management in patients undergoing hysteroscopic surgery, to analyze its effects on intraoperative and postoperative pain, and to compare the differences in pain outcomes between patients undergoing hysteroscopy under local anesthesia and those without anesthesia.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
132

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • China
    • YiWu
      • Zhejiang, YiWu, China, 322000
        • 4th Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, China

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 20 to 45 years
  • Female
  • Scheduled for diagnostic hysteroscopy
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Classification I or II
  • Normal comprehension and communication skills, able to complete Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) assessments
  • Willing to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Known allergy to auricular plaster or Vaccaria segetalis (Wang Bu Liu Xing) seeds
  • Active lesions on the ear, such as wounds, ulcers, swelling, or deformity
  • Severe psychiatric or neurological disorders
  • Severe cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases
  • Pre-existing significant pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or tinnitus before the procedure

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Paracervical Block Alone Group
Participants receive paracervical block anesthesia (0.1 g lidocaine) as the pain management intervention. No auriculotherapy is administered.
Procedure: Paracervical block anesthesia
The control group received paracervical block anesthesia with 0.1 g lidocaine, without combined Bagua auriculotherapy.
Experimental: Paracervical Block + Bagua Auriculotherapy Group
Participants receive both paracervical block anesthesia (0.1 g lidocaine) and Bagua auriculotherapy. The auriculotherapy is administered by a trained practitioner starting 15 minutes before surgery and continuing until 30 minutes after the procedure.
Procedure: Paracervical block anesthesia
The control group received paracervical block anesthesia with 0.1 g lidocaine, without combined Bagua auriculotherapy.
Procedure: Bagua Auriculotherapy
For the intervention, Vaccaria seeds were attached to selected auricular points using adhesive tape. The auricular skin was disinfected with 75% alcohol wipes. According to Bagua theory, the seeds were placed at the Kan, Li, Gen, and Qian positions, localized based on the Group Standard of Guangdong Provincial Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (T/GDACM0143-2025): "Bagua Auriculotherapy Localization and Compatibility". Manual pressure was applied using the thumb and index finger pads on each point. The pressing procedure commenced 15 minutes before surgery, with each point pressed 30 times in the sequence of Kan, Li, Gen, and Qian, repeated for three cycles, until sensations of warmth, pain, numbness, or distension were achieved. Immediately after surgical incision, each point was pressed 30 times following the same sequence for three cycles, and immediately after surgery completion, each point was again pressed 30 times for three cycles.
No Intervention: No Anesthesia + No Auriculotherapy Group
Participants receive neither paracervical block anesthesia nor Bagua auriculotherapy during the procedure. Only routine standard care is provided.
Experimental: Bagua Auriculotherapy Alone Group
Participants receive Bagua auriculotherapy without paracervical block anesthesia. The therapy is administered by a trained practitioner starting 15 minutes before surgery and continuing until 30 minutes after the procedure.
Procedure: Bagua Auriculotherapy
For the intervention, Vaccaria seeds were attached to selected auricular points using adhesive tape. The auricular skin was disinfected with 75% alcohol wipes. According to Bagua theory, the seeds were placed at the Kan, Li, Gen, and Qian positions, localized based on the Group Standard of Guangdong Provincial Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (T/GDACM0143-2025): "Bagua Auriculotherapy Localization and Compatibility". Manual pressure was applied using the thumb and index finger pads on each point. The pressing procedure commenced 15 minutes before surgery, with each point pressed 30 times in the sequence of Kan, Li, Gen, and Qian, repeated for three cycles, until sensations of warmth, pain, numbness, or distension were achieved. Immediately after surgical incision, each point was pressed 30 times following the same sequence for three cycles, and immediately after surgery completion, each point was again pressed 30 times for three cycles.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain Intensity During Hysteroscopy
Time Frame: During the hysteroscopy procedure and up to 30 minutes post-procedure
Pain intensity measured using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), an 11-point scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Assessments are performed at five time points: during vaginal disinfection, at hysteroscope insertion, during the procedure, at procedure completion, and 30 minutes post-procedure.
During the hysteroscopy procedure and up to 30 minutes post-procedure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Anxiety Level
Time Frame: before the procedure
Anxiety assessed using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). The SAS consists of 20 items, each scored on a 4-point Likert scale (1 to 4). Standard scores range from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety. A score of 50 or higher indicates clinically significant anxiety.
before the procedure
Patient Satisfaction
Time Frame: After the procedure, before discharge
Patient satisfaction with the procedure assessed using a self-administered 5-point Likert scale: 5 = very satisfied, 4 = satisfied, 3 = neutral, 2 = dissatisfied, 1 = very dissatisfied.
After the procedure, before discharge
Hemodynamic Parameters
Time Frame: During the hysteroscopy procedure
Heart rate (beats per minute) and blood pressure (systolic and diastolic, mmHg) recorded at four time points: during vaginal disinfection, at hysteroscope insertion, during the procedure, and at procedure completion.
During the hysteroscopy procedure
Incidence of Adverse Events
Time Frame: study enrollment through the post-procedure follow-up period
Number of participants experiencing adverse events, including auricular site reactions (pain, pruritus, erythema, swelling, bleeding, bruising, contact dermatitis) and any other unexpected medical events occurring during the study period.
study enrollment through the post-procedure follow-up period

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 18, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 2, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 2, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • KY-2025-330

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified individual participant data (IPD) will be shared, including demographic data, baseline characteristics, primary and secondary outcome measures, adverse events, and other key study variables as reported in the article text, tables, figures, and appendices.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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