Evidence mapPaperPMID 40890741Full record

Trial reportBMC complementary medicine and therapies2025

Patients' experiences with acupuncture for diabetic polyneuropathy as part of a randomized controlled trial (ACUDPN) - a qualitative study.

Marie Bolster, Joanna Dietzel, Isabel Valentina Habermann, Sebastian Hörder, Benno Brinkhaus, Barbara Stöckigt

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03755960 (Acupuncture in Symptomatic Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03755960 nacompletednot on this map

Acupuncture in Symptomatic Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.

TypeinterventionalSponsorBenno BrinkhausRan2019 to 2021Enrolled62ConditionsDiabetic NeuropathyArmsacupuncture, routine care
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Marie BolsterInstitute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité- Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, 10117, Germany. marie.bolster@charite.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4671-6090
Joanna DietzelInstitute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité- Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, 10117, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4739-4230
Isabel Valentina HabermannInstitute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité- Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, 10117, Germany.
Sebastian HörderInstitute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité- Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, 10117, Germany.
Benno BrinkhausInstitute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité- Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, 10117, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6290-744X
Barbara StöckigtInstitute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité- Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, 10117, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2438-876X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis qualitative study aims to analyse the experiences, perceptions, and motivations of patients with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN), who received acupuncture treatments for the symptoms of DPN as part of a Randomized-Controlled Trial (RCT).

methodsSemi-structured interviews were carried out with participants of a two-arm RCT as part of a mixed-methods study. The interviews were conducted fact-to-face or via phone using a semi-structured interview guide with questions on living with DPN, the medical care for DPN prior to the study, the acupuncture treatments and the overall trial participation.

resultsIn total, 10 participants participated between January - December 2020 in this study. All but one participant had positive experiences with acupuncture and reported a reduction of DPN symptoms. They had varying experiences and needs and adopted a range of different coping mechanisms to manage their symptoms and condition prior to participating in the RCT. Many felt dissatisfied with the lack of current treatment options and insufficient medical care for DPN and wished to reduce medication. Acceptance of acupuncture was high, particularly among those wishing to reduce medication. The findings of the qualitative study are in line with the results of the RCT.

conclusionsResults the qualitative study indicate that acupuncture could be an acceptable and perceived effective treatment option for DPN patients. Declarations.

trial registrationRCT: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03755960. Registered on 11 August 2018.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyDiabetic NeuropathiesPatient SatisfactionAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchAcupunctureDiabetic peripheral neuropathyMixed-methodsPatient experienceQualitative studyRCT participationSymptom management

Identifiers

PMID40890741
PMCPMC12400560

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.