How Placebo and TENS Work Together for Lower Back Pain
Part of Pain clinical trials.
This study tests whether the expectation of pain relief (the placebo effect) can make a device called TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) work better for acute lower back pain. TENS uses gentle electrical pulses on your skin to reduce pain.
Summary written for real people, not researchers, by Clin2.
Who can take part
- You have acute (recent) lower back pain without pain radiating into your legs
- Your pain level is at least 4 out of 10 on a pain scale
- You are between 18 and 65 years old
- You have never used TENS before, or haven't used it in the past 5 years
- You do not have serious spinal conditions like fractures, tumors, or inflammatory arthritis
- You are not pregnant and do not have a cardiac pacemaker
Quick eligibility check
Answer a few plain-language questions, based on this study's own requirements, to get a preliminary sense of fit.
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