Brain zaps and ancient exercise join forces to fight knee pain
NCT ID NCT05839535
First seen Jul 17, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026
Summary
This study investigates whether combining a gentle mind-body exercise called Baduanjin with a non-invasive brain stimulation technique (tDCS) can help relieve pain and improve brain function in people with knee osteoarthritis. Researchers will use brain scans to see how these treatments change brain activity. The trial involves 140 adults aged 45 to 75 with knee osteoarthritis and compares the combination to exercise alone or sham stimulation.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- a mind-body exercise called Baduanjin combined with a brain stimulation method called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new, drug-free way to manage knee osteoarthritis pain by combining gentle exercise with brain stimulation.
- What could go wrong
- This is a mid-stage trial with 140 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The brain stimulation is non-invasive but may cause mild discomfort or tingling, and the exercise may not help all types of knee pain.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Show contact details
Enter your email to view the contact information for this study.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Study contacts
-
Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
RECRUITINGCharlestown, Massachusetts, 02129, United States
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- AI reads knee ultrasounds to predict injection success
- Ozone therapy put to the test: could it harm your eyes?
- Robot-Assisted knee surgery tests custom alignment for Longer-Lasting implants
- New supplement blend may rival glucosamine for knee arthritis relief
- Mindful walking may ease knee pain without pills
- Ultrasound measurements may predict who benefits from knee pain block