Effect of electroacupuncture for pain relief in diabetic distal symmetric polyneuropathy: a pilot randomized clinical trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Painful distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSPN) is one of the most common complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), affecting quality of life and increasing the disease burden. Standard pharmacological treatments often provide suboptimal relief and may cause adverse effects, highlighting the need for alternative therapies. Electroacupuncture (EA), a traditional Chinese medicine technique, has shown promising clinical outcomes in pain reduction, but its role in diabetic neuropathy remains underexplored. This pilot clinical trial aimed to assess the efficacy of EA in reducing neuropathic pain in patients with T2DM and axonal DSPN.

Methods

We conducted a pilot randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial in northern Mexico City (December 2021-August 2023).

SUBMITTER: Perez Hernandez MF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12690971 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature