Short-term Comparative Clinical Outcomes of Acupuncture and Phototherapy in Chronic Generalized Pruritus

Short-term Comparative Clinical Outcomes of Acupuncture and Phototherapy in Chronic Generalized Pruritus: A Prospective Study

Chronic pruritus is a common and challenging condition with limited effective treatment options. This prospective, randomized comparative study aimed to evaluate the short-term clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture compared with narrow-band UVB phototherapy in patients with chronic generalized pruritus. A total of 90 adult patients were enrolled and treated for one month. Pruritus severity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) at baseline and after treatment.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Chronic Pruritus
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Sterile disposable acupuncture needles; Device: Narrow Band UVB Phototherapy Unit

Detailed Description

This prospective comparative study included 90 adult patients diagnosed with chronic generalized pruritus. Participants were randomized into two parallel groups: an acupuncture group (n=50) and a narrow-band UVB phototherapy group (n=40). Acupuncture was administered twice weekly for one month (eight sessions total) using standardized acupuncture points in accordance with STRICTA recommendations. Phototherapy was administered three times weekly for one month. The primary outcomes were changes in pruritus severity measured by VAS and IGA at baseline and at one month. Safety and comparative short-term efficacy were evaluated.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 90
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • None Selected
    • Ankara, None Selected, Turkey (Türkiye), 06630
      • Nermin KARAOSMANOĞLU

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 18 years
• Clinical diagnosis of chronic generalized pruritus lasting longer than 6 weeks
• Ability to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent
• Willingness to comply with the study protocol and attend scheduled visits

Exclusion Criteria (Acupuncture Group):

• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Bleeding disorders or use of anticoagulant therapy
• Skin diseases or lesions impairing skin integrity at acupuncture application sites
• Advanced hypertension or heart failure

Exclusion Criteria (Phototherapy Group):

• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Sun hypersensitivity or photodermatoses
• Skin diseases triggered by sunlight
• Claustrophobia
• Advanced hypertension or heart failure

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Acupunture; Patients received acupuncture treatment twice weekly for one month (total of eight sessions). Sterile disposable steel needles (0.25 × 25 mm) were applied at standardized acupuncture points: LI11 (Quchi), LI4 (Hegu), ST36 (Zusanli), SP4 (Gongsun), SP6 (Sanyinjiao), SP10 (Xuehai), GB31 (Fengshi), LU10 (Yuji), PC6 (Neiguan), and DU20 (Baihui). Each session lasted 30 minutes, with manual stimulation performed every 10 minutes until the Deqi sensation was achieved.	Device: Sterile disposable acupuncture needles; Sterile disposable stainless steel acupuncture needles (0.25 × 25 mm) were used for acupuncture treatment.
Active Comparator: Narrow-band UVB Phototherapy; Patients underwent narrow-band UVB phototherapy three times per week for one month. Treatment doses ranged between 3.6 and 5.34 J/cm², adjusted according to individual skin type.	Device: Narrow Band UVB Phototherapy Unit; Patients underwent narrow-band UVB phototherapy three times per week for one month. Narrowband UVB therapy was administered using a licensed NB-UVB phototherapy unit. Treatment doses ranged between 3.6 and 5.34 J/cm², adjusted according to individual skin type.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Visual Analogue Scale for Pruritus	The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) is a patient-reported scale used to assess pruritus severity. Unit of Measure: Units on a Scale Scale Description : Visual Analogue Scale ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pruritus and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pruritus. Higher scores indicate worse pruritus severity.	Baseline to 1 month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Investigator's Global Assessment for Chronic Pruritus	Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) is a clinician-rated scale assessing disease severity in patients with chronic pruritus. Unit of Measure: Units on a Scale Scale Description: Investigator's Global Assessment scores range from 0 to 4, where 0 = clear, 1 = almost clear, 2 = mild, 3 = moderate, and 4 = severe disease. Higher scores indicate worse disease severity.	Baseline to 1 month

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ankara University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): July 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 22, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 28, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 5, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 28, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 2024/15

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No