New needle therapy could ease sciatica without drugs

NCT ID NCT07373808

Recruiting now Symptom relief Sponsor: Universidad Complutense de Madrid Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether a treatment called Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (PENS), combined with exercise, can reduce pain and improve quality of life in people with long-term sciatica. 88 adults with chronic leg pain from sciatica will be randomly assigned to receive PENS, TENS (skin-patch stimulation), dry needling, or a placebo, plus a 6-week exercise program. Researchers will measure pain, disability, and side effects over 6 months to see which approach works best.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (PENS)
What this could lead to: If it works, this could offer a safe, non-drug option to reduce sciatica pain and improve daily function, potentially reducing the need for painkillers or surgery.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage trial (88 people) comparing several treatments, so results may not apply to everyone. The benefits over placebo or other therapies may be small or nonexistent.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

sciatica

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

SCIATICA

Contacts and locations

Locations

Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre
RECRUITING

Madrid, Madrid, 28041, Spain

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