Study of Acupuncture to Prevent Relapse in Crohns Disease Patients by Enhancing the Shaoyang Pivot Mechanism

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to improve the effectiveness of acupuncture in delaying the return of Crohns disease CD symptoms and to understand how acupuncture enhances treatment through the brain-gut axis. It builds on prior studies focusing on spleen and stomach support by exploring acupuncture targeting the Shaoyang pivot mechanism for better results. Brain-gut axis dysfunction plays a key role in CD, and this trial investigates multiple pathways involved in this process. Participants receive one of two acupuncture treatments combined with mild moxibustion, performed twice weekly for 12 weeks, followed by a 40-week follow-up. One group receives acupuncture aimed at harmonizing Shaoyang, nourishing spleen and kidney with warmth, while the other group receives acupuncture focused on nourishing spleen and kidney with warmth. Each treatment session lasts 30 minutes, where acupuncture and moxibustion are performed simultaneously, using specific acupoint combinations alternated between two sets. Throughout the study, participants are assessed regularly for disease recurrence and activity using clinical indexes such as the Crohns Disease Activity Index CDAI and patient-reported outcomes over 52 weeks. Laboratory tests, inflammation markers, colonoscopy or MR imaging, quality of life questionnaires, and mood assessments are conducted at multiple time points. Researchers monitor the proportion and timing of disease relapses, aiming to better understand acupunctures impact and mechanisms in CD management.

Acupuncture Reduces Relapse in Patients With Crohn's Disease: a Superiority Trial