Could a zap to the nerves ease stubborn arm pain?
NCT ID NCT07165392
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether adding nerve stimulation (neuromodulation) to standard exercise and stretching can improve pain, movement, and quality of life in people with upper limb musculoskeletal problems. About 120 working-age adults who haven't had physical therapy will be split into four groups: two get nerve stimulation plus exercise, and two get exercise alone, with either two or three sessions per week for six months. The goal is to see if the nerve stimulation provides extra relief beyond exercise and stretching alone.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- neuromodulation (nerve stimulation)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to improve pain and movement for people with shoulder, arm, or hand problems.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage trial with only 120 people. The nerve stimulation is added to standard care, so its extra benefit may be small or hard to detect.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
-
Oct 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
-
Mar 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 60 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Participants in the study will be men and women of working age, diagnosed with musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limb, and who have not yet received physical therapy. Exclusion Criteria: * Have undergone surgery. * Those who refuse to participate in this study. * Patients who present muscular atrophy in the upper limb due to a pathology of the latter. * Medical conditions that are contraindications for neuromodulation therapy
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Musculoskeletal disorders are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a gentle brain current make teen musicians play better?
- Can more therapist time in virtual rehab boost arm recovery after stroke?
- Can a nerve stimulation device outdo pelvic floor exercises for overactive bladder?
- Zapping the brain to fight teen pain: a new hope?
- Ear stimulation may quiet pain — scientists scan the brain to find out how
- Workplace pain education may cut sick days by teaching employees and managers to talk about pain