Acupuncture is being rigorously tested against simulated acupuncture as a potential way to ease dryness, pain, and fatigue in primary Sjögren syndrome.
This single-centre randomized controlled study assigns adults with primary Sjögren syndrome and symptoms of dryness, pain, and fatigue to receive either acupuncture or simulated acupuncture. Participants undergo repeated symptom assessments during treatment and follow-up, alongside evaluations of tear production, saliva flow, immune markers, gland imaging, quality of life, anxiety, depression, treatment satisfaction, and whether participants correctly identified their assigned treatment.
The main outcome assesses whether participants experience meaningful improvement across multiple key symptoms. Secondary analyses examine changes in individual symptoms, disease activity, gland function, immune measures, wellbeing, and mental health. As this abstract describes a trial protocol rather than completed findings, it reports planned outcome measures rather than treatment results.
