Nerve stimulation device could ease long-term COVID symptoms

FRIDAY, Nov. 29, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A painless nerve stimulation device called transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has long been used to relieve arthritis, back pain and other ailments.

Now researchers say TENS could also help relieve the fatigue and pain that can accompany long COVID.

“This wearable TENS system provides immediate, on-demand relief from pain and fatigue and is easy to integrate into daily activities,” said Bijan Najafi, co-lead author of the study. He is research director of the Center for Advanced Surgical & Interventional Technology at UCLA Health.

The results of his team’s small study were recently published in Scientific reports.

According to the study’s background information, Long COVID now affects 1 in 13 adults in the United States. Fatigue, pain and muscle weakness are among the countless possible symptoms.

Portable TENS devices work by delivering low-wattage electrical currents to the nerves.

The new study involved 25 people diagnosed with chronic musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and gait difficulties associated with long-COVID. They were randomly assigned to either a working, high-dose TENS machine or a “placebo” machine that delivered very low doses of electricity.

Everyone used the devices three to five hours a day for a month.

A benefit from TENS was found: People who wore the real device experienced an average pain reduction of more than 26% compared to those who wore the placebo device, Najafi’s group reported. They also had an average improvement of 8% in their walking ability.

Overall, just over 71% of people who used the real TENS machine believed they experienced a health benefit, compared to 61.4% of those who used the placebo machine.

A big plus was that most participants found the technology easy to use, so compliance rates were high, the researchers found.

Still, “the sample size was limited, so further research is needed to confirm these results,” Najafi emphasized.

The devices could also help other types of patients, he added.

“While this study focused on treating pain and fatigue caused by long COVID, it may also have potential applications for treating similar symptoms in people with other respiratory illnesses, in people who have experienced prolonged intensive care unit stays, and after hospitalization weaknesses, as well as fatigue and pain in those with chronic illnesses such as fibromyalgia or chemotherapy-related side effects,” Najafi noted in a UCLA press release. “However, further studies are needed to confirm these potential uses.”

The study was largely funded by the National Science Foundation, with the Quelle TENS device provided to researchers free of charge by its manufacturer, Neurometrix Inc.

More information

Learn more about TENS machines at Cleveland Clinic.

SOURCE: UCLA Health, press release, November 26, 2024