Could a gentle zap to the back calm spastic muscles after spinal injury?
NCT ID NCT06214208
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a noninvasive electrical stimulation applied to the lower back can reduce spasticity (involuntary muscle activity), improve muscle strength, and lessen pain in people with spinal cord injury. Thirty-six participants will receive the stimulation over several sessions, and researchers will measure leg movement and reflexes before, during, and after treatment. The goal is to see if this simple technique can provide short-term relief without medication.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcutaneous spinal stimulation (electrical stimulation through the skin)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-drug way to ease muscle tightness and improve movement after spinal cord injury.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study with only 36 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The effects are measured immediately after stimulation, so long-term benefits are unknown.
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
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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
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About 36 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2024
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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16 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Participants must agree to allow use of health information. * Participants should be 16 years old or older. * Participants must have had a spinal cord injury (SCI) of any severity (AIS A, B, C, or D) that happened at least 3 months ago. * Objectively measurable spasticity in your legs. * Participants must inform the investigators if there is a change in medications during the study. * Participants must be able to follow instructions. * Participants must be able to communicate if pain or discomfort is experienced. Exclusion Criteria: * People with spinal issues that are getting worse, such as degenerative or progressive vascular disorders. * People neurological problems other than SCI. * People with an injury level is below T12. * People with un-treated or uncontrolled heart problems that the lead investigator believes could be affected by stimulation or affected by an increase in blood pressure. * People with bone or joint problems that would make it hard to follow the study plan. * Women who are pregnant or actively trying to become pregnant. * People with implanted stimulators (like a baclofen pump, spinal stimulator, heart defibrillator, or diaphragmatic pacemaker) * People with infection. * People with skin that is broken or wounds in the area of the body where stimulation is applied. * People who have or had certain types of cancer in the area of the body where stimulation will be applied. * People who have had botulinum toxin or numbing shots in the test leg or spine in the last 6 months * People who have had permanent spasticity treatment in the test leg or spine (like a certain type of surgery). * Other health issues that the lead investigator things could make it unsafe for you to join the study.
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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.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Shepherd Center, Inc.
RECRUITINGAtlanta, Georgia, 30309, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Serotonin precursor probed for spinal cord injury effects
- Breathing brief Low-Oxygen bursts may boost sleep apnea treatment
- Pure oxygen tested as a switch for dormant nerves after spinal cord injury
- Spinal stimulation tested to help kids with spinal cord injuries sit taller
- Zapping the spine: a new hope for kids with paralysis?
- Can painless spinal zaps teach injured kids to walk again?