An interventional study of Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Musculoskeletal Pain, Chronic Pain and Kinesiophobia, sponsored by Gwangju Health University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in South Korea. Open to participants aged 13 Years to 18 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-04.
Sponsored by Gwangju Health University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Adolescent dancers are at high risk of musculoskeletal pain due to repetitive, high-intensity training. Persistent pain may lead to kinesiophobia (fear of movement), which can further impair physical function according to the fear-avoidance model. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been used as a top-down intervention for musculoskeletal pain; however, it remains unclear whether its analgesic effect results from true neural stimulation or from contextual factors such as treatment expectation.
This three-arm, single-blind randomized controlled trial will enroll 24 adolescent dancers aged 13 to 18 years with musculoskeletal pain lasting at least 3 months. Participants will be randomly allocated, stratified by pain site, to (1) active tDCS plus manual therapy, (2) sham tDCS plus manual therapy, or (3) sham tDCS plus manual therapy plus structured expectation-enhancement education. Each participant will receive a single intervention session. Outcomes will be assessed before, immediately after, and 1 week after the intervention. The study aims to distinguish the neurophysiological effect of tDCS from the effect of treatment expectation on pain, kinesiophobia, and related outcomes.
513 studies on the registry are indexed under Musculoskeletal Pain; 113 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 24 is below the median of 66 across 360 interventional studies indexed under Musculoskeletal Pain.
Browse Musculoskeletal Pain studies →Gwangju Health University is the lead sponsor of 2 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.
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Device: Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation · Other: Manual Therapy
Device: Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation · Other: Manual Therapy
Device: Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation · Other: Manual Therapy · Behavioral: Expectation-Enhancement Education
Anodal tDCS delivered at 2 mA for 20 minutes using saline-soaked sponge electrodes, with the anode over the primary motor cortex (C3/C4) and the cathode over the contralateral frontal area according to the international 10-20 system. Current is ramped up and down gradually.
Identical electrode placement and procedure as active tDCS for 20 minutes, with current delivered only for the first 30 seconds and then turned off.
Manual therapy including instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (Graston technique) applied to the painful region for 15 minutes, with the tool held at 30 to 60 degrees, within a tolerable pain range (VAS 3 to 4).
A 5- to 10-minute structured education session delivered by the investigator using a standardized script that explains the principles and expected effects of the treatment.
Change in Pain Intensity (Numeric Pain Rating Scale, NPRS)
Pain intensity rated on a 0 to 10 scale (0 = no pain, 10 = worst pain imaginable). Higher scores indicate greater pain.
Time frame: Baseline (before intervention), immediately after intervention, and 1 week after intervention
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Gwangju Health University