Stimulation of Acupuncture Points in Female Patients With Multiple Sclerosis and Neurogenic Bladder Dysfunction

NCT ID: NCT07183683

Last Updated: 2025-09-19

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

150 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-09-30

Study Completion Date

2027-04-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Electrical vs. manual stimulation: The study compares two types of acupuncture - one using mild electrical currents and one using just manual no-needle techniques in the treatment of urinary bladder disfunction.

The study focuses on women diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) who also have neurogenic bladder dysfunction - a condition where the bladder doesn't work properly due to nerve damage.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility, therapeutic effects, and safety of (A) electrical stimulation of acupuncture points (using a TENS device) in addition to routine care, and (B) manual stimulation of acupuncture points (using acupressure) in addition to routine care, compared to (C) routine care alone (control group), in female patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and neurogenic bladder dysfunction.

Key outcome parameters include symptoms of neurogenic bladder dysfunction assessed using standardized patient-reported outcome measures.

Moreover, a qualitative substudy will be conducted to explore the subjectively perceived effects of the study interventions and the overall feasibility of the study. This will be carried out through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using qualitative research methodology.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Neurogenic Bladder Dysfunction

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

group 1: electrical stimulation of acupuncture points plus routine care

Intervention is electrical stimulation of two acupuncture points at the inner ankle of the foot over the posterior tibialis nerve, stimulation twice daily over 5 weeks

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

group 1: electrical stimulation of acupuncture points plus routine care

Intervention Type DEVICE

The acupuncture points Spleen 6 and Kidney 3 will be stimulated twice daily with a up to 30min electrical stimulation per foot with 10Hz and an intensity up to individual tolerance level.

group 2: acupressure plus routine care

manual stimulation of the same two acupressure points over the inner ankle, stimulation twice daily over 5 weeks

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

group 2: acupressure plus routine care

Intervention Type OTHER

The acupuncture points Spleen 6 and Kidney 3 will be stimulated twice daily with a up to 30min massage per foot

group 3: routine care alone

waiting list control

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

group 1: electrical stimulation of acupuncture points plus routine care

The acupuncture points Spleen 6 and Kidney 3 will be stimulated twice daily with a up to 30min electrical stimulation per foot with 10Hz and an intensity up to individual tolerance level.

Intervention Type DEVICE

group 2: acupressure plus routine care

The acupuncture points Spleen 6 and Kidney 3 will be stimulated twice daily with a up to 30min massage per foot

Intervention Type OTHER

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

posterior tibial nerve stimulation

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Female patients, aged 18-60 years, with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score ≤ 6
* Stable immunomodulatory MS therapy for at least 3 months prior to enrollment
* Presence of at least 3 out of the following 6 criteria indicative of overactive bladder dysfunction: urgency, daytime urinary frequency \>10 times, nocturia \>1 time per night, post-void dribbling, incontinence, or delayed initiation of micturition
* Participants must be willing and cognitively and linguistically capable of adhering to the study protocol, performing the study interventions, and completing the required study documentation
* Capacity to provide informed consent, and provision of written consent for both written and electronic data collection and participation in the study

Exclusion Criteria

* Acute MS relapse within the last 3 months prior to individual study entry
* Planned change in immunomodulatory therapy during the study period
* Current need for regular self-catheterization (more than twice per week)
* Clinically relevant post-void residual volume, confirmed by ultrasound (\>100 mL or \>40% of pre-void volume)
* Current or past history of bladder cancer
* Implanted defibrillator or other pacemaker
* Urogenital causes of bladder dysfunction, such as stress urinary incontinence or bladder prolapse
* Spinal trauma within 5 years prior to study entry or any other pre-existing central nervous system disorders (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease), or history of pelvic, spinal, or bladder surgery
* Acute urinary tract infection at the time of screening or within the previous 4 weeks
* Urolithiasis or urogenital tumors within the past 6 months
* Previous electrical posterior tibial nerve stimulation (TNS), acupuncture, or acupressure in the same anatomical region within 3 months prior to study entry
* Regular pelvic floor training (more than twice per week) in the past 6 weeks or planned during the study period
* Planned participation in another interventional clinical trial during the study period
* Open wounds, edema, or lymphedema in the lower leg that may interfere with local intervention
* Other serious pre-existing conditions (e.g., active cancer, heart failure, epilepsy, etc.) that contraindicate participation in the study
* Obesity, defined as BMI \> 30
* Pregnancy or breastfeeding
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Charite University, Berlin, Germany

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Benno Brinkhaus

Professor Dr. Benno Brinkhaus

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Department for integrative medicine and prevention, Institute for social medicine, epidemiology and health economics, Charité university medicine Berlin

Berlin, State of Berlin, Germany

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Germany

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Benno Brinkhaus, PhD, MD

Role: CONTACT

+49 30 450 529 002

Joanna Dietzel, MD

Role: CONTACT

+49 30 450 529 002

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Schönberg Mechthild, study nurse

Role: primary

+49 30 450 529 027

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Al Dandan HB, Coote S, McClurg D. Prevalence of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Int J MS Care. 2020 Mar-Apr;22(2):91-99. doi: 10.7224/1537-2073.2019-030.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32410904 (View on PubMed)

Chang KK, Wong TK, Wong TH, Leung AW, Chung JW. Effect of acupressure in treating urodynamic stress incontinence: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Chin Med. 2011;39(6):1139-59. doi: 10.1142/S0192415X11009469.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22083987 (View on PubMed)

Marzouk MH, Darwish MH, El-Tamawy MS, Morsy S, Abbas RL, Ali AS. Posterior tibial nerve stimulation as a neuromodulation therapy in treatment of neurogenic overactive bladder in multiple sclerosis: A prospective randomized controlled study. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2022 Dec;68:104252. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2022.104252. Epub 2022 Oct 17.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 36274285 (View on PubMed)

Guitynavard F, Mirmosayyeb O, Razavi ERV, Hosseini M, Hosseinabadi AM, Ghajarzadeh M, Azadvari M. Percutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS): A systematic review and meta-analysis. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2022 Feb;58:103392. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103392. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35216773 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

KVC 01/143/2024

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

ACULUTS-MS KVC

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.