Efficacy of Acupuncture-Mesalazine Combination Therapy in Ulcerative Colitis.

Exclusion Criteria

• •1. diagnosed with or suspected to have other type of inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease;
• •2. patients in clinical remission or with severe disease activity ( baseline total Mayo score \< 3, or \> 10 );
• •3. having severe gastrointestinal complications or a recent surgical history, including but not limited to: short bowel syndrome, toxic megacolon, intestinal perforation, complete intestinal obstruction, active massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage, or having undergone major abdominal or intestinal surgery within the past 6 months.
• •4. patients unwilling to undergo colonoscopy;
• •5. significant or unstable comorbidities (e.g., cardiovascular, respiratory, hepatic, or renal diseases);
• •6. patients with malignant tumors (including but not limited to colorectal cancer);
• •7. patients with a history of intradermal thumbtack needle embedding;
• •8. pregnant or lactating women;
• •9. patients with mental illness;
• •10. patients with either coagulation disorders or skin conditions (such as diseases, infections, ulcers, scars, or tumors at the acupuncture sites) that would preclude acupuncture；
• •11. strong needle phobia or unwillingness to receive acupuncture treatment;
• •12. any other condition (e.g., geographical remoteness, history of poor adherence) that, in the opinion of the investigator, would make the patient unsuitable for the study or likely to be non-compliant with the protocol.