Can a nerve zap in the ear ease chikungunya joint pain?
NCT ID NCT07523126
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a gentle electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve in the ear (taVNS) to reduce chronic joint pain in the legs caused by Chikungunya fever. 51 adults with pain lasting at least 3 months will be randomly assigned to taVNS, standard TENS, or a sham device. The goal is to see if taVNS can lower pain and improve function and quality of life.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcutaneous vagus nerve electrical stimulation (taVNS)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to manage long-term joint pain after Chikungunya fever, improving quality of life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 51 participants. The effect may be small or no better than placebo, and results may not apply to everyone.
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 51 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 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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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.
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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: * People of either sex who are over 18 years of age, Clinical diagnosis of Chikungunya confirmed by laboratory test and/or medical report; Chronic joint pain in one or more lower limb joints lasting at least 3 months after infection; Ability to ambulate independently or with assistive devices; Intact skin integrity in the auricular region and areas of electrode placement; Residing in the state of Pernambuco. Exclusion Criteria: * Neurological disorders; Decompensated cardiorespiratory diseases; Pre-existing systemic rheumatic diseases prior to Chikungunya infection; History of seizures or epilepsy; Presence of implanted electronic devices (e.g., pacemakers); Pregnancy; Orofacial or ear pain; Skin lesions, infections, or impaired sensation at stimulation sites; Thrombophlebitis, ischemic or ulcerated areas; Neoplasms; Use of medications or substances that increase seizure risk; Current participation in other physiotherapy treatments during the study period; Conditions that prevent attendance at the study site.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Federal University of Pernambuco - Department of Physiotherapy, Electrophototherapy Laboratory
Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-420, Brazil
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