Transcranial direct current stimulation could help fibromyalgia pain

A neuromodulation technique – when nervous activity is regulated by controlling the levels of nerve activity through electrical stimulation – is safe and could lower fibromyalgia pain intensity but more research is needed, says an evidence review in the Journal of Pain.

As fibromyalgia could be caused by dysfunction of the central nervous system, transcranial direct current stimulation that targets the central nervous system may offer a new line of treatment. So a team reviewed the evidence and found 14 relevant studies have been done.

When the team analysed the studies they found tentative evidence of pain reduction when transcranial direct current stimulation is compared with pretend treatment, but a lack of quality research prevents them from making conclusive recommendations.

However, they do say that “Transcranial direct current stimulation is a safe intervention with the potential to lower pain intensity in fibromyalgia” so let’s hope more research is done soon.

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