tACS to reduce chronic low back pain

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This Phase 2 interventional trial compares real versus sham transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) delivered over one month in adults with chronic low back pain. Participants must have pain for more than six months with at least 4/10 intensity and meet MRI/MEG/EEG safety screening. Outcomes will include self-reported pain intensity (NRS) and neurophysiological or imaging measures collected per protocol. The design uses a sham control to separate true stimulation effects from placebo.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Volunteers 18-60 years of age
2. Meet the Classification Criteria of the chronic LBP (having low back pain for more than 6 months)
3. At least 4/10 clinical pain on the 0-10 LBP NRS
4. At least a 10th grade English-reading level; English can be a second language provided that the patients understand all questions used in the assessment measures
5. Meeting the MRI / MEG / EEG screening criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Specific causes of back pain (eg, cancer, fractures, spinal stenosis, infections)
2. Complicated back problems (eg, prior back surgery, medicolegal issues)
3. The intent to undergo surgery during the time of involvement in the study
4. History of cardiac, respiratory, or nervous system disease that, in the investigator's judgment, precludes participation in the study because of a heightened potential for adverse outcome (for example: asthma or claustrophobia)
5. Presence of any contraindications to MRI scanning (for example: cardiac pacemaker, metal implants, claustrophobia, pregnancy, cannot lie still in fMRI scanner)
6. Concomitant autoimmune, chronic, inflammatory, neoplastic, and psychiatric diseases
7. Pregnant or lactating
8. Conditions making study participation difficult (e.g., paralysis, psychoses, or other severe psychological problems as per the judgment of a study investigator during Session 1)
9. Active substance abuse disorders (based on subject self-report and drug test)
10. Regular use of pain medication such as opioids, nonopioid analgesics, coanalgesics, corticosteroids, or immunomodulatory agents
11. Any medical conditions, such as peripheral neuropathy, that could affect the results of QST
12. Current use of psychotropic medication

Where it's running

• Massachusetts General Hospital
  Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Jian Kong
• Email: jkong2@mgh.harvard.edu
• Phone: 6179620978

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• Ultrasound-Guided Thoracolumbar Fascia Injection for Chronic Low Back Pain in Type 2 Diabetes

  This trial tests whether an ultrasound-guided injection into the thoracolumbar fascia, added to standard care, helps reduce chronic low back pain in adults with type 2 diabetes.

  Recruiting Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital · Küçükçekmece, Istanbul · NCT07927530

• Subcutaneous Fat, Back Muscles, and Spine Shape in Back Pain Patients

  This study tests whether body fat under the skin and features of back muscles and spine joints are linked to lumbar facet joint degeneration in adults with chronic low back pain.

  Recruiting Marmara University · Istanbul, Istanbul · NCT07860697

• See if serum BDNF levels relate to outcomes in chronic low back pain

  This study tests whether blood BDNF levels can help predict how patients with chronic low back pain will do over time.

  Recruiting Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center · Daegu, Daegu · NCT07776379

• Correlating periostin levels with spinal degeneration in back pain

  This study tests whether periostin levels in the intervertebral disc relate to the severity of disc degeneration in people with chronic low back pain and spinal stenosis.

  Recruiting Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center · Daegu, Daegu · NCT07776366

• Palmitoylethanolamide for Central Sensitisation and Neuroinflammation in Chronic Low Back Pain

  A treatment with palmitoylethanolamide is being tried to see if it helps people with chronic low back pain who have nerve-related pain and disc problems.

  Recruiting Beni-Suef University · Banī Suwayf · NCT07772141

• Multichannel neuromuscular stimulation plus core exercise for chronic low back pain

  This study tests two multichannel neuromuscular electrical stimulation programs added to a core exercise plan to see if they help adults with chronic non-specific low back pain.

  Recruiting Uskudar University · Şırnak · NCT07760142

How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.