High Frequency RF Current Effects on Muscle Pain and Function

NCT ID: NCT05345015

Last Updated: 2025-01-29

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

160 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-04-30

Study Completion Date

2026-12-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The purpose of this study is to examine the acute and chronic effects of high frequency electrical current transfer (frequently called "TECAR") on pain and functional movement in individuals with a musculoskeletal injury or pain. The participants will be assigned into an experimental or a control group and outcome measures will be measured prior to, after, 24 and 48 hours following a single intervention session (Acute effects) as well as 3 and 6 months after the intervention (chronic effects).

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

The purpose of this study is to examine the acute and chronic effects of high frequency electrical current transfer (frequently called "TECAR") on pain and functional movement in individuals with a musculoskeletal injury or pain. Participants referred for muscle strain injury (hamstring, quadriceps, gastrocnemius) or chronic low back pain will be randomly allocated into one of the three groups: an experimental group (muscle injuries), experimental group (low back pain) and a control group. The project is divided in two phases. In the first phase, the acute effects of TECAR therapy will be examined. Outcome measures will be obtained prior to, after, 24 and 48 hours following a single intervention session. The intervention consists of 20-min electrical energy transfer session (Capacitive mode, 0.5 Mhz radiofrequency, intensity 40%) or a typical transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS, asymmetric biphasic mode, rectangular pulse, f = 80Hz) protocol. In the chronic stage, participants will receive 10 sessions (3 times a week) receiving either protocol while outcome measurements will be obtained before, immediately, 3 and 6 months after the intervention. Analysis of variance designs will be used to compare differences in each outcome between groups at different measurement sessions. The alpha level is set to p \<0.05.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation Chronic Low-back Pain Hamstring Injury Muscle; Injury, Quadriceps (Thigh) Physical Therapy Calf Muscle Pulled

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Participants are assigned to an electrical energy transfer (TECAR), a Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation (TENS) or a control (CON) group in parallel for the duration of the study
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Caregivers Outcome Assessors
Since each group is assigned into a different intervention, masking is not possible. Outcome measures will be recorded and they will be provided codes, to ensure masking of the outcomes assessors.

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Acute effects

The experimental group will receive one single session of 20-min electrical energy transfer session (Capacitive mode, 0.5 Mhz radiofrequency, intensity 40%). The TENS group will receive one 20-minute session of transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS, asynchronous rectangular pulse, f\< 50Hz). The control (CON) group will not receive any intervention. Outcome measures will be measured prior to, immediately after, 24 and 48 hours after.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Radiofrequency Energy Transfer

Intervention Type DEVICE

Radiofrequency Electrical Currents (TECAR) will be delivered using a winback system (Winback, Villeneuve-Loubet, France) propagating radiofrequency waves of 448 kHz using metallic electrodes via a coupling medium. Radiofrequencies will be used in the capacitive mode , which aims to treat superficial /soft tissues in the area. The "active" plate will be applied sequentially on the skin in the injured or painful region. The base plate will be located to the other side of the injured body region (for back thigh muscle injuries, for example, the base plate will be located on the frontal thigh area, to close the current circuit. Therapy will be applied for 20 minutes, with a target intensity of 40% and a frequency of 0.5Mhz.

Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) will be delivered using a Chattanooga Intellect Advanced Combo system (Chattanooga, Hixson, TN 3 7343, USA). Two electrodes will be placed on the skin at a distance so that they cover the entire painful area. The TENS asymmetric biphasic mode (phase 300 ms, frequency 80Hz, continuous cycle) will be applied. The intensity will be adjusted between 0 and 110A, such that it is tolerable by the participant. The total application time will be 20 minutes or equal to that applied for the TECAR group.

Chronic effects

The experimental group will receive 10 sessions of 20-min electrical energy transfer session (Capacitive mode, 0.5 Mhz radiofrequency, intensity 40%). The TENS group will receive 10 20-minute sessions of transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS, asynchronous rectangular pulse, f\< 50Hz). The control (CON) group will not receive any intervention. Outcome measures will be measured prior to, immediately after, 3 and 6 months after.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Radiofrequency Energy Transfer

Intervention Type DEVICE

Radiofrequency Electrical Currents (TECAR) will be delivered using a winback system (Winback, Villeneuve-Loubet, France) propagating radiofrequency waves of 448 kHz using metallic electrodes via a coupling medium. Radiofrequencies will be used in the capacitive mode , which aims to treat superficial /soft tissues in the area. The "active" plate will be applied sequentially on the skin in the injured or painful region. The base plate will be located to the other side of the injured body region (for back thigh muscle injuries, for example, the base plate will be located on the frontal thigh area, to close the current circuit. Therapy will be applied for 20 minutes, with a target intensity of 40% and a frequency of 0.5Mhz.

Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) will be delivered using a Chattanooga Intellect Advanced Combo system (Chattanooga, Hixson, TN 3 7343, USA). Two electrodes will be placed on the skin at a distance so that they cover the entire painful area. The TENS asymmetric biphasic mode (phase 300 ms, frequency 80Hz, continuous cycle) will be applied. The intensity will be adjusted between 0 and 110A, such that it is tolerable by the participant. The total application time will be 20 minutes or equal to that applied for the TECAR group.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Radiofrequency Energy Transfer

Radiofrequency Electrical Currents (TECAR) will be delivered using a winback system (Winback, Villeneuve-Loubet, France) propagating radiofrequency waves of 448 kHz using metallic electrodes via a coupling medium. Radiofrequencies will be used in the capacitive mode , which aims to treat superficial /soft tissues in the area. The "active" plate will be applied sequentially on the skin in the injured or painful region. The base plate will be located to the other side of the injured body region (for back thigh muscle injuries, for example, the base plate will be located on the frontal thigh area, to close the current circuit. Therapy will be applied for 20 minutes, with a target intensity of 40% and a frequency of 0.5Mhz.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulation

Transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) will be delivered using a Chattanooga Intellect Advanced Combo system (Chattanooga, Hixson, TN 3 7343, USA). Two electrodes will be placed on the skin at a distance so that they cover the entire painful area. The TENS asymmetric biphasic mode (phase 300 ms, frequency 80Hz, continuous cycle) will be applied. The intensity will be adjusted between 0 and 110A, such that it is tolerable by the participant. The total application time will be 20 minutes or equal to that applied for the TECAR group.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

TECAR TENS

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Acute hamstring or quadriceps or calf strain injury
* Age above 18 years


* Pain between bottom of ribs and buttock creases
* Incidents for at least half the days in the past six months
* Visual analogue pain score equal or greater than 4/10
* Pain incidents for for less than half the days in the past six months

Exclusion Criteria

* Other injury or musculoskeletal condition
* Any observed organ dysfunctions
* Receipt of medication or treatment for the past 3 months

Low back pain group


* radiographic evidence of inflammatory disease affecting the spine
* fracture
* important genetic structure abnormality in the spine
* pregnancy
* use of medication that might influence heart rate and/or blood pressure
* psychiatric disorders
* receipt of medication or treatment for the past 3 months
* No neurologic deficits (sensory, motor, or reflexes)
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Eleftherios Kellis

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Eleftherios Kellis, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Professor

Thomas Apostolou, M.D.

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

International Hellenic University

Paris Iakovidis, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

International Hellenic University

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Physiotherapy Clinic

Kavala, , Greece

Site Status RECRUITING

Laboratory of Neuromechanics, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Serres, , Greece

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Greece

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Eleftherios Kellis, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

+302310991053

Anna Kellis, MSc

Role: CONTACT

+302510240610

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Anna Kelli, MSc

Role: primary

Eleftherios Kellis, Ph.D.

Role: primary

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Paolucci T, Pezzi L, Centra AM, Giannandrea N, Bellomo RG, Saggini R. Electromagnetic Field Therapy: A Rehabilitative Perspective in the Management of Musculoskeletal Pain - A Systematic Review. J Pain Res. 2020 Jun 12;13:1385-1400. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S231778. eCollection 2020.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32606905 (View on PubMed)

Paolucci T, Pezzi L, Centra MA, Porreca A, Barbato C, Bellomo RG, Saggini R. Effects of capacitive and resistive electric transfer therapy in patients with painful shoulder impingement syndrome: a comparative study. J Int Med Res. 2020 Feb;48(2):300060519883090. doi: 10.1177/0300060519883090. Epub 2019 Nov 4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31680597 (View on PubMed)

Takahashi K, Suyama T, Onodera M, Hirabayashi S, Tsuzuki N, Zhong-Shi L. Clinical Effects of Capacitive Electric Transfer Hyperthermia Therapy for Lumbago. J Phys Ther Sci. 1999;11:45-51. doi:10.1589/jpts.11.45.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Hernandez-Bule ML, Paino CL, Trillo MA, Ubeda A. Electric stimulation at 448 kHz promotes proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells. Cell Physiol Biochem. 2014;34(5):1741-55. doi: 10.1159/000366375. Epub 2014 Nov 12.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25427571 (View on PubMed)

Kumaran B, Watson T. Thermal build-up, decay and retention responses to local therapeutic application of 448 kHz capacitive resistive monopolar radiofrequency: A prospective randomised crossover study in healthy adults. Int J Hyperthermia. 2015;31(8):883-95. doi: 10.3109/02656736.2015.1092172. Epub 2015 Nov 2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26524223 (View on PubMed)

Bretelle F, Fabre C, Golka M, Pauly V, Roth B, Bechadergue V, Blanc J. Capacitive-resistive radiofrequency therapy to treat postpartum perineal pain: A randomized study. PLoS One. 2020 Apr 27;15(4):e0231869. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231869. eCollection 2020.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32339169 (View on PubMed)

Fousekis K, Chrysanthopoulos G, Tsekoura M, Mandalidis D, Mylonas K, Angelopoulos P, Koumoundourou D, Billis V, Tsepis E. Posterior thigh thermal skin adaptations to radiofrequency treatment at 448 kHz applied with or without Indiba(R) fascia treatment tools. J Phys Ther Sci. 2020 Apr;32(4):292-296. doi: 10.1589/jpts.32.292. Epub 2020 Apr 2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32273653 (View on PubMed)

Tashiro Y, Hasegawa S, Yokota Y, Nishiguchi S, Fukutani N, Shirooka H, Tasaka S, Matsushita T, Matsubara K, Nakayama Y, Sonoda T, Tsuboyama T, Aoyama T. Effect of Capacitive and Resistive electric transfer on haemoglobin saturation and tissue temperature. Int J Hyperthermia. 2017 Sep;33(6):696-702. doi: 10.1080/02656736.2017.1289252. Epub 2017 Feb 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28139939 (View on PubMed)

Yokota Y, Sonoda T, Tashiro Y, Suzuki Y, Kajiwara Y, Zeidan H, Nakayama Y, Kawagoe M, Shimoura K, Tatsumi M, Nakai K, Nishida Y, Bito T, Yoshimi S, Aoyama T. Effect of Capacitive and Resistive electric transfer on changes in muscle flexibility and lumbopelvic alignment after fatiguing exercise. J Phys Ther Sci. 2018 May;30(5):719-725. doi: 10.1589/jpts.30.719. Epub 2018 May 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29765189 (View on PubMed)

Tashiro Y, Suzuki Y, Nakayama Y, Sonoda T, Yokota Y, Kawagoe M, Tsuboyama T, Aoyama T. The effect of Capacitive and Resistive electric transfer on non-specific chronic low back pain. Electromagn Biol Med. 2020 Oct 1;39(4):437-444. doi: 10.1080/15368378.2020.1830795. Epub 2020 Oct 6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33021115 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

TECAR22#1

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Effect of TECAR on Cervical Radiculopathy
NCT07289607 NOT_YET_RECRUITING NA