Efficacy of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture for postprandial distress syndrome: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background Postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) has a considerable impact on quality of life. Our previous pilot trial suggested that acupuncture might be a potential treatment option for PDS. We will conduct this large trial to determine the efficacy of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture for PDS. Methods/design A total of 280 eligible patients who meet the Rome IV criteria for PDS will be randomly allocated to either the acupuncture group or the sham acupuncture group. Each patient will receive 12 sessions over four weeks. The primary outcomes will be the response rate of overall treatment effect (OTE) and the elimination rate of all three cardinal symptoms (postprandial fullness, upper abdominal bloating, and early satiation) at four weeks after randomization. Secondary outcomes will include assessments of the severity of dyspepsia symptoms and disease-specific quality of life at weeks 4, 8, and 16 after randomization. All patients who receive randomization will be included in the intent-to-treat analysis. Discussion The finding of this trial will provide high-quality evidence on the efficacy of acupuncture for treatment of PDS. Results of this research will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN12511434. Registered on 31 March 2017. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-018-3051-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.