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Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Pain Thresholds in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

NCT03973788 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 40

Last updated 2026-01-09

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common reason for which patients are treated with opioids. Because the misuse of prescription opioids has become a serious problem in the Uinted States, finding effective alternative non-pharmaceutical interventions for chronic pain management has become an urgent matter. A phenomenon termed central sensitization (i.e. mal-adaption of the brain) has been hypothesized to be an underlying mechanism for the development of chronic pain, leading to sensory hypersensitivity to extremal stimuli. Therefore, non-invasive brain stimulation, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may be an effective intervention to regulate brain excitability, thus reducing chronic pain. However, research has shown inconclusive evidence regarding the rTMS effects on chronic pain reduction, partly due to the heterogeneity of participants in studies to date. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to investigate the immediate and short-term effects of rTMS on neurosensory changes (i.e., pain thresholds) in patients with CLBP. The secondary purpuse of the study is to explore the relationship between changes of cortical excitability (TMS parameters) and changes of pain thresholds after the rTMS intervention in patients with CLBP.

Conditions

  • Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP)

Interventions

PROCEDURE

repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)

A single section of rTMS (2,000 pulses)

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Texas Woman's University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Sharon Wang-Price · Texas Woman's University

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2019-07-01
Primary Completion
2021-01-31
Completion
2022-01-13

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03973788 on ClinicalTrials.gov