A preliminary study of transcranial direct current stimulation for the treatment of refractory chronic pelvic pain

Background

The modulatory effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) appear beneficial for different chronic pain syndromes; however, it is unclear whether this method can be used to treat refractory chronic pelvic pain.

Objective

The objective of this preliminary study was to determine the efficacy and safety of tDCS for the management of refractory chronic pelvic pain.

Methods

Seven patients with chronic pelvic pain having failed standard medical or surgical therapy underwent a crossover, double-blind sham controlled tDCS treatment protocol consisting of 1 mA applied for 20 minutes on two consecutive days with 2 weeks of follow-up symptom recording. Symptoms were recorded using multiple scoring systems, including visual analog scales for different pains, as well as organ-specific symptom scales. Comparison between active and sham treatment was performed by using paired t tests.

Results

Overall and pelvic pain scores were significantly lower after active compared with sham treatment, as were disability and traumatic stress scores. No patient discontinued the study because of side effects, which were infrequent.

Conclusions

Active tDCS treatment induces a modest pain reduction in refractory chronic pelvic pain patients as compared with sham tDCS treatment. These results can guide the design and implementation of further studies investigating this method of neuromodulation for the treatment of refractory chronic pelvic pain.

Keywords: tDCS, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, fibromyalgia, noninvasive neurostimulation