Thread-Embedding Acupuncture as an Adjunct to Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

August 28, 2026 updated by: Dr Nguyen Ngo Le Minh Anh MD, PhD, University of Science Ho Chi Minh City

Efficacy and Safety of Thread-Embedding Acupuncture as an Adjunct to Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy in Patients With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Liver-Stomach Stagnation-Heat Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of thread-embedding acupuncture combined with omeprazole in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) presenting with the traditional medicine pattern of Liver-Stomach constraint-heat. Participants will receive either thread-embedding acupuncture combined with omeprazole or the comparator treatment according to the study protocol. Clinical outcomes will be assessed to determine the effectiveness and safety of the intervention.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

50

Phase

  • 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 Contact

Study Locations

  • Vietnam
      • Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
        • Recruiting
        • Traditional Medicine Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City
        • Contact:

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 18 to 60 years.
  • Diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with a GerdQ score ≥8 and typical heartburn and/or regurgitation occurring at least 2 days per week, and considered eligible for proton pump inhibitor therapy according to the ACG 2013 guideline.
  • Meets the diagnostic criteria for Liver-Stomach Heat Stagnation Syndrome according to the 2017 expert consensus on traditional medicine syndrome differentiation for GERD.
  • No previous diagnosis of GERD within the past 8 weeks.
  • Voluntarily agrees to participate in the study and provides written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of alarm symptoms, including dysphagia, odynophagia, palpable lymph nodes or mass, unintentional weight loss, family history of gastrointestinal malignancy, gastrointestinal bleeding, anemia, or persistent nausea/vomiting.
  • Structural gastrointestinal disease confirmed by endoscopy, including esophageal malignancy or other significant organic lesions.
  • Current use of medications that may influence GERD assessment or treatment, including glucocorticoids, NSAIDs, bisphosphonates, prostaglandins, oral contraceptives, antifungal agents, or sedative medications.
  • Use of proton pump inhibitors, H2-receptor antagonists, or prokinetic agents within the previous 14 days.
  • History of hypersensitivity to proton pump inhibitors or absorbable catgut/thread material.
  • Skin inflammation, infection, or other dermatologic disease at or around the intended thread-embedding sites.
  • Current pregnancy or breastfeeding.
  • Currently participating in another interventional clinical study.

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: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Omeprazole
Participants receive omeprazole according to the treatment regimen specified in the study protocol.
Procedure: Thread-Embedding Acupuncture
Participants will receive acupoint catgut embedding in addition to standard treatment with omeprazole. Acupoint catgut embedding will be performed twice during the 4-week treatment period, at 2-week intervals. Sterile chromic catgut 3/0 will be embedded at Zhongwan (CV12), Shangwan (CV13), Xiawan (CV10), Zusanli (ST36), Tianshu (ST25), and Taichong (LR3) according to the standardized procedure. Participants will be monitored for 30 minutes after each procedure for adverse events.
Other Names:
  • Acupoint Catgut Embedding
Experimental: Thread-Embedding Acupuncture Plus Omeprazole
Participants receive thread-embedding acupuncture in combination with omeprazole according to the treatment regimen specified in the study protocol.
Procedure: Thread-Embedding Acupuncture
Participants will receive acupoint catgut embedding in addition to standard treatment with omeprazole. Acupoint catgut embedding will be performed twice during the 4-week treatment period, at 2-week intervals. Sterile chromic catgut 3/0 will be embedded at Zhongwan (CV12), Shangwan (CV13), Xiawan (CV10), Zusanli (ST36), Tianshu (ST25), and Taichong (LR3) according to the standardized procedure. Participants will be monitored for 30 minutes after each procedure for adverse events.
Other Names:
  • Acupoint Catgut Embedding

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in GERD-Q Score
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks
Gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms will be assessed using the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire (GerdQ). The total GerdQ score ranges from 0 to 18, with higher scores indicating more severe gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms. Change in the total GerdQ score from baseline to 4 weeks will be assessed between the two study groups.
Baseline and 4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Treatment Response Based on GerdQ
Time Frame: Baseline and weekly through 4 weeks
Treatment response will be defined as a reduction of at least 2 points in the total Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire (GerdQ) score from baseline. The total GerdQ score ranges from 0 to 18, with higher scores indicating more severe gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms. The proportion of participants achieving treatment response will be compared between the two study groups.
Baseline and weekly through 4 weeks
Complete Symptom Resolution Based on GerdQ
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Complete resolution of typical gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms will be assessed using the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire (GerdQ). The total GerdQ score ranges from 0 to 18, with higher scores indicating more severe GERD symptoms. Complete symptom resolution will be defined as a score of 0 for both the heartburn and regurgitation items of the GerdQ. The proportion of participants achieving complete symptom resolution at 4 weeks will be compared between the two study groups.
4 weeks
Change in Traditional Medicine Symptoms of Liver-Stomach Heat Stagnation Syndrome
Time Frame: Baseline and weekly through 4 weeks
Traditional medicine symptoms of Liver-Stomach Stagnated Heat syndrome will be assessed using a syndrome symptom score comprising two main symptoms (burning sensation and acid regurgitation) and six secondary symptoms (retrosternal pain, epigastric burning pain, epigastric fullness, belching or food regurgitation, irritability, and rapid hunger). Each main symptom is rated as absent, mild, moderate, or severe and scored 0, 2, 4, or 6 points, respectively. Each secondary symptom is rated as absent, mild, moderate, or severe and scored 0, 1, 2, or 3 points, respectively. The total score ranges from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating greater syndrome severity. Change in the total syndrome score from baseline through 4 weeks will be compared between the two study groups.
Baseline and weekly through 4 weeks
Treatment Response Based on Liver-Stomach Stagnated Heat Syndrome Score
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks
Treatment response for Liver-Stomach Stagnated Heat syndrome will be assessed using the percentage reduction in the total syndrome score from baseline. The efficacy index will be calculated as [(baseline score - post-treatment score) / baseline score] × 100. Clinical cure is defined as an efficacy index of at least 95%, markedly effective as 70% to less than 95%, effective as 30% to less than 70%, and ineffective as less than 30%. The proportion of participants classified as clinically cured, markedly effective, effective, or ineffective at 4 weeks will be compared between the two study groups.
Baseline and 4 weeks
Adverse Events Associated With Thread-Embedding Acupuncture
Time Frame: Throughout the 4-week treatment period
Adverse events associated with thread-embedding acupuncture will be monitored throughout the 4-week treatment period. Events of interest include local pain, bleeding, bruising, swelling, infection, allergic reactions, and other treatment-related complications. The number and proportion of participants experiencing at least one adverse event will be recorded and compared between the two study groups.
Throughout the 4-week treatment period

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of Science Ho Chi Minh City

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Minh-Anh Nguyen Ngo Le, MD,PhD, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City
  • Principal Investigator: Minh-Anh Nguyen Ngo Le, MD, PhD, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

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)

April 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 15, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 18, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 26, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 28, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 28, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • TEA-GERD-RCT2026

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

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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