Ear device may tame arthritis pain without drugs
NCT ID NCT07646470
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a device that gently stimulates the vagus nerve through the ear could help control rheumatoid arthritis in one patient who had their spleen removed. The patient used the device at home for 24 months and visited the clinic every two months for checkups. The goal was to see if the treatment could reduce disease activity and inflammation markers like CRP.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Trans-auricular vagus nerve stimulation (a device that sends mild electrical pulses to the vagus nerve through the ear)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a drug-free way to manage rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and inflammation.
- What could go wrong
- This is a single-person study with no control group, so results may not apply to others. The effect could be due to chance or the placebo effect.
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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1 person
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2020
- Finished
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Apr 2022
- 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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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Male participants only
- 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: * diagnosed RA * splenectomy Exclusion Criteria: Pharmaceutical treatment as: * disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) * Biologics * Jak inhibitors
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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
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OsteoFlow Health Clinic
Moncton, New Brunswick, E1C 5N3, Canada
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can talk therapy plus exercise beat arthritis fatigue?