Shocking swelling away? tiny TENS trial fizzles out
NCT ID NCT04680533
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a wearable TENS device could help reduce leg swelling (peripheral edema). Only 3 people took part, and the trial was stopped early. The main goal was to see if the study design worked, not to prove the device helps. Because it was so small and incomplete, we can't say if TENS is effective for this condition.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a drug-free way to reduce leg swelling.
- What could go wrong
- This was a very small, early trial that was terminated early, so we cannot draw any reliable conclusions. The device may not reduce swelling at all.
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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Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
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3 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jun 2021
- Finished
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Feb 2024
- 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
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18 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.
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 (subjects must…) 1. Have had lower extremity edema for at least 3 months. 2. Currently have edema of at least 2+ (i.e., 3-4mm depression rebounds within a few seconds, but not immediately) on the pitting scale. 21 Pitting will have been assessed by a Clinician, the clinician Co-I within 6 weeks of the screening visit or at the screening visit by the research staff. 3. Willing to not start or change the dosages of any medications that could affect edema for 2 weeks prior to enrollment, and throughout the duration of the study. 4. Not currently using diuretics to control their edema. 5. Not currently using and willing to not start using occupational therapy, physical therapy, or lymphatic massage (at home or by PT) 2 weeks prior to and throughout the duration of the study. 6. Not currently using compression stockings or Velcro or bandage wraps at least 2 weeks prior to enrollment in the study or based on shared decision making of the potential subjects' clinician or the clinician co-investigator are receiving sufficiently little benefit from these therapies to warrant stopping their use for the duration of the study. 7. Have access to a smart phone or device with an Apple or Android operating system with iOS 10 or later, or Android 6 or later. iOS and Android devices must have Bluetooth Low Energy (LE, also called Bluetooth Smart) compatibility. The smart phone or device must have the ability to access the TENS device's Quell App, Zoom App or software and, the ability to connect to the cellular data or Wi-Fi on a daily basis during the trial. 8. Have an active and accessible email. 9. Be willing and able to regularly check the email provided throughout the study. 10. Be able to read English (i.e., is literate, can speak English, and is not blind) because patient-reported outcomes and consent form are only available in English. 11. Be at least 18 years of age. 12. Be able to provide informed consent. Exclusion criteria (subjects must not…) 1. Be currently using a TENS device for any reason. 2. Have an acute and symptomatic lower extremity DVT (i.e., the diagnosis of DVT is less than 3 months prior to study enrollment). 3. Have started anticoagulants within the past 3 months. 4. Have lower extremity wounds or ulcers. 5. Have a cardiac pace maker or defibrillator. 6. Have epilepsy. 7. Have a leg that is too small or too large for the TENS device to fit securely. 8. Have cellulitis or fibrosis. 9. Have any skin condition at the site where the electrode pads adhere such that the PI/Co-I think the device will not be safe for the subject. 10. Have congestive heart failure. 11. Have chronic kidney disease of stage 3 or greater. 12. Have cirrhosis of the liver. 13. Have previous surgery that removed lymphatic lower leg tissue. 14. Have a diagnosis of lower limb lymphedema. 15. Be pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, New York, 14642, United States
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