Academic Journal
Efficacy of transcranial alternating current stimulation for musculoskeletal pain and sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
| Τίτλος: | Efficacy of transcranial alternating current stimulation for musculoskeletal pain and sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. |
|---|---|
| Συγγραφείς: | Chen Z; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China; School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia., Qian M; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China., Yang Y; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China., Zhao J; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China., Wang Z; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China; Research Center of Humanities and Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China., Cai W; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China; Research Center of Humanities and Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China., Xu J; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China; Zunyi Medical University Zhuhai Campus, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China., Han J; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China; College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, China; Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia. Electronic address: jia.han@canberra.edu.au., Chen Y; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China. Electronic address: yangpucy@163.com. |
| Πηγή: | Complementary therapies in medicine [Complement Ther Med] 2026 Oct; Vol. 101, pp. 103419. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Aug 10. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Meta-Analysis; Systematic Review |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: Scotland NLM ID: 9308777 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-6963 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 09652299 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Complement Ther Med Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Edinburgh : Elsevier Original Publication: Edinburgh ; New York : Churchill Livingstone, c1993- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Musculoskeletal Pain*/therapy , Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation*/methods , Sleep Quality*, Pain Management/methods ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic |
| Περίληψη: | Background: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique, emerging as a potential therapeutic option for musculoskeletal pain management. Objective: To comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of tACS for alleviating pain and improving sleep quality in adults with musculoskeletal pain. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Seven major databases and other sources were searched from inception until April 2026. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. A random-effects model was used to pool standardized mean differences (SMDs). The certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework. Results: Six RCTs involving 232 participants were included. Meta-analysis showed that tACS could significantly reduce pain intensity compared to control (SMD = -0.355, 95% CI: -0.625 to -0.084, p = 0.010, I² = 28.7%). However, no significant improvement was found for sleep quality (SMD = 0.004, 95% CI: -0.310-0.317, p = 0.982, I² = 0.0%). Adverse effects were mild and transient, comparable to sham stimulation. The overall certainty of evidence was rated as low for both pain and sleep quality outcomes. Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that tACS may be beneficial for musculoskeletal pain; however, the available evidence remains limited and should be interpreted cautiously. The effect of tACS on sleep quality remains uncertain because of the limited number of available studies. Future well-designed RCTs with standardized outcome measures, condition-specific stimulation protocols, and longer follow-up are required to establish the efficacy and long-term safety of tACS. (Copyright © 2026. Published by Elsevier Ltd.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Chronic pain; Musculoskeletal pain; Neuromodulation; Pain management; Transcranial alternating current stimulation; tACS |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260810 Date Completed: 20260826 Latest Revision: 20260908 |
| Update Code: | 20260909 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103419 |
| PMID: | 42575228 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Efficacy of transcranial alternating current stimulation for musculoskeletal pain and sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Chen+Z%22">Chen Z</searchLink>; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China; School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Qian+M%22">Qian M</searchLink>; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Yang+Y%22">Yang Y</searchLink>; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Zhao+J%22">Zhao J</searchLink>; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Wang+Z%22">Wang Z</searchLink>; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China; Research Center of Humanities and Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Cai+W%22">Cai W</searchLink>; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China; Research Center of Humanities and Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Xu+J%22">Xu J</searchLink>; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China; Zunyi Medical University Zhuhai Campus, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Han+J%22">Han J</searchLink>; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China; College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, China; Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia. Electronic address: jia.han@canberra.edu.au.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Chen+Y%22">Chen Y</searchLink>; Shanghai Yangpu District Mental Health Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, No. 585 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200093, China. Electronic address: yangpucy@163.com. – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%229308777%22">Complementary therapies in medicine</searchLink> [Complement Ther Med] 2026 Oct; Vol. 101, pp. 103419. <i>Date of Electronic Publication: </i>2026 Aug 10. – Name: TypePub Label: Publication Type Group: TypPub Data: Journal Article; Meta-Analysis; Systematic Review – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: TitleSource Label: Journal Info Group: Src Data: <i>Publisher: </i><searchLink fieldCode="PB" term="%22Elsevier%22">Elsevier </searchLink><i>Country of Publication: </i>Scotland <i>NLM ID: </i>9308777 <i>Publication Model: </i>Print-Electronic <i>Cited Medium: </i>Internet <i>ISSN: </i>1873-6963 (Electronic) <i>Linking ISSN: </i><searchLink fieldCode="IS" term="%2209652299%22">09652299 </searchLink><i>NLM ISO Abbreviation: </i>Complement Ther Med <i>Subsets: </i>MEDLINE – Name: PublisherInfo Label: Imprint Name(s) Group: PubInfo Data: <i>Publication</i>: Edinburgh : Elsevier<br /><i>Original Publication</i>: Edinburgh ; New York : Churchill Livingstone, c1993- – Name: SubjectMESH Label: MeSH Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Musculoskeletal+Pain%22">Musculoskeletal Pain*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Musculoskeletal+Pain+therapy%22">therapy</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Transcranial+Direct+Current+Stimulation%22">Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Transcranial+Direct+Current+Stimulation+methods%22">methods</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Sleep+Quality%22">Sleep Quality*</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Pain+Management%22">Pain Management</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Pain+Management+methods%22">methods</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Humans%22">Humans</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Randomized+Controlled+Trials+as+Topic%22">Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Background: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique, emerging as a potential therapeutic option for musculoskeletal pain management.<br />Objective: To comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of tACS for alleviating pain and improving sleep quality in adults with musculoskeletal pain.<br />Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Seven major databases and other sources were searched from inception until April 2026. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. A random-effects model was used to pool standardized mean differences (SMDs). The certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework.<br />Results: Six RCTs involving 232 participants were included. Meta-analysis showed that tACS could significantly reduce pain intensity compared to control (SMD = -0.355, 95% CI: -0.625 to -0.084, p = 0.010, I² = 28.7%). However, no significant improvement was found for sleep quality (SMD = 0.004, 95% CI: -0.310-0.317, p = 0.982, I² = 0.0%). Adverse effects were mild and transient, comparable to sham stimulation. The overall certainty of evidence was rated as low for both pain and sleep quality outcomes.<br />Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that tACS may be beneficial for musculoskeletal pain; however, the available evidence remains limited and should be interpreted cautiously. The effect of tACS on sleep quality remains uncertain because of the limited number of available studies. Future well-designed RCTs with standardized outcome measures, condition-specific stimulation protocols, and longer follow-up are required to establish the efficacy and long-term safety of tACS.<br /> (Copyright © 2026. Published by Elsevier Ltd.) – Name: Abstract Label: Competing Interests Group: Ab Data: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. – Name: SubjectMinor Label: Contributed Indexing Group: Data: <i>Keywords: </i>Chronic pain; Musculoskeletal pain; Neuromodulation; Pain management; Transcranial alternating current stimulation; tACS – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date(s) Group: Date Data: <i>Date Created: </i>20260810 <i>Date Completed: </i>20260826 <i>Latest Revision: </i>20260908 – Name: DateUpdate Label: Update Code Group: Date Data: 20260909 – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103419 – Name: AN Label: PMID Group: ID Data: 42575228 |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103419 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: StartPage: 103419 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Pain Management methods Type: general – SubjectFull: Humans Type: general – SubjectFull: Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic Type: general – SubjectFull: Musculoskeletal Pain therapy Type: general – SubjectFull: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation methods Type: general – SubjectFull: Sleep Quality Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Efficacy of transcranial alternating current stimulation for musculoskeletal pain and sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Chen Z – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Qian M – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Yang Y – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Zhao J – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Wang Z – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Cai W – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Xu J – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Han J – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Chen Y IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 10 Text: 2026 Oct Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-electronic Value: 1873-6963 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 101 Titles: – TitleFull: Complementary therapies in medicine Type: main |
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