Treatment of Back Pain Using Transcutaneous Magnetic Stimulation (TCMS)

NCT ID: NCT02421757

Last Updated: 2021-11-23

Study Results

Results available

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

20 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2016-08-22

Study Completion Date

2017-06-22

Brief Summary

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This is a single-site, randomized, Single-blinded, placebo-controlled, trial of Transcutaneous Magnetic Stimulation (TCMS) for the treatment of lower back pain. TCMS will be applied locally to the back in the location of a patient's pain.

Detailed Description

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Approximately one third of Americans suffer from acute and chronic pain and pain has been called a silent epidemic. Treatment of pain often involves opioid medications with a significant potential for abuse, addiction and adverse reactions such as respiratory depression and death. Magnetic brain stimulation has been used for the treatment of pain. There are reports of its use in phantom-limb pain and in the treatment of central and peripheral pain syndromes.

The study will evaluate whether an experimental medical device (Fischell TCMS Pain Treatment Device) that emits pulses of a brief, intense magnetic field will relieve pain in the lower back. Transcutaneous Magnetic Stimulation (TCMS) is the name of this method of delivering magnetic pulses through the skin. TCMS has been approved by the FDA for peripheral nerve stimulation, treatment of migraine headaches and for depression but this type of device has not been studied scientifically for the treatment of back pain. No significant adverse reactions or side effects have been reported with the use of magnetic stimulation for headache treatment. Some patients who have migraine headaches have excellent pain relief with the magnetic treatment even if they do not get pain relief with medications. Other patients do not have headache relief with magnetic treatment. The current use of TCMS applied to the head requires special equipment and multiple treatment sessions. TCMS applied peripherally is easier to do, and may require fewer treatment sessions to achieve pain relief. Non-invasive treatment of pain would represent a significant advance in the field especially if its use both successfully treated pain and resulted in the reduction or elimination in the need for opioid medications.

The investigators do not know whether magnetic treatment will relieve back pain so the investigators will test this by applying a powerful electromagnet to the area of the back having pain. In some patients, the magnet will be turned on, but in other patients the magnet will not be turned on. Neither patients nor patient's treating doctor will know whether the magnet was turned on or not, although the study team will know which patients received treatment with magnetic pulses. The effect on pain will be recorded periodically for 2 days. If the patients' reported pain is reduced by having the magnet turned on compared to patients' who do not have the magnet turned on, then the magnet may have reduced the pain. Additional studies in patients will be needed to be sure that the magnet therapy is reducing low back pain.

Conditions

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Lower Back Pain

Keywords

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Transcutaneous Magnetic Stimulation placebo

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

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Transcutaneous Magnetic Stimulation

Transcutaneous Magnetic Stimulation

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Fischell Transcutaneous Magnetic Stimulation Pain Treatment Device

Intervention Type DEVICE

Transcutaneous Magnetic Stimulation

Sham Device

Sham Device

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DEVICE

The placebo Transcutaneous device

Interventions

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Fischell Transcutaneous Magnetic Stimulation Pain Treatment Device

Transcutaneous Magnetic Stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Placebo

The placebo Transcutaneous device

Intervention Type DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

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Fischell Transcutaneous Magnetic Stimulation Pain Treatment Device (TCMS Placebo)

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Adult, age \>18 years of age
2. Prescription pharmacologic treatment is insufficient for treatment of pain
3. Pain duration of ≥ 6 months
4. Pain limits physical activity
5. Pain occurs daily
6. Chronic low back pain, with or without leg pain, associated with MRI or other imaging study consistent with lumbo-sacral spine disease with or without nerve compression
7. Pain intensity ≥ 5 at the time of enrollment a a self-reported pain score of ≥ 4 over the 7 preceding days.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Life expectancy ≤ 6 months for any reason
2. Oral opiate dosing or type of opioid that has changed in past 12 months
3. Received intraspinal (e.g., epidural, intrathecal) medication in the past 6 months
4. Use of intravenous pain medication in the past 6 months
5. Active use of a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) \[within 30 days\]
6. History of seizures
7. History of implanted medical device, cardiac pacemaker or implantable cardiac defibrillator, or other implant (Cochlear etc)
8. History of cardiac dysrhythmias
9. Member of vulnerable population
10. Current or potential legal action of disability claim related to back pain
11. Body Mass Index (BMI) \>35
12. Another pain condition that might confound results, including back pain above the waistline
13. Women of child-bearing potential
14. Inability to undergo study assessments or complete questionnaires independently
15. Metal objects in the body (i.e. Aneurysm clip, bullet fragment)
16. Active psychological co-morbidites (i.e. uncontrolled schizophrenia)
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Maryland, Baltimore

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Peter Rock

Professor of Anesthesiology

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Peter Rock, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Maryland, Baltimore

Locations

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La Toya Stubbs

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

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HP-00062233

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id