Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40536666›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine2025

Exploring the therapeutic potential of transcranial direct current stimulation for chronic low back pain: a scoping review.

Aminu A Ibrahim, Katayan Klahan, Kanphajee Sornkaew, Jarugool Tretriluxana, Sheri P Silfies, Peemongkon Wattananon

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Aminu A IbrahimPhysiotherapy Department, Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq.
Katayan KlahanSpine Biomechanics Laboratory, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Kanphajee SornkaewSpine Biomechanics Laboratory, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Jarugool TretriluxanaMotor Control and Neural Plasticity Lab, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Sheri P SilfiesApplied Neuromechanics Lab, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
Peemongkon WattananonSpine Biomechanics Laboratory, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand - peemongkon.wat@mahidol.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionChronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common disabling condition, inflicting a substantial socioeconomic burden. Given its association with neuroplastic changes, as evidenced by central and peripheral sensitization, neuromodulatory techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have emerged as potential treatments. This scoping review aimed to identify and map the existing literature on tDCS studies for CLBP to provide insight into how these studies are conducted, and to address their potential gaps in knowledge. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant studies from inception to 23 March 2025. Eligible studies included were those examining tDCS alone or with other interventions in adults with CLBP, regardless of the outcome evaluated and included adults with CLBP. The review was conducted using Arksey and O'Malley's six-stage framework and was guided by the PRISMA for scoping review framework. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Of 134 screened records, 26 studies were included: 23 randomized controlled trials and 3 quasi-experimental studies. Half of the studies (50%) had a low risk of bias while one-third (34.6%) showed a high or serious risk of bias. Outcomes evaluated varied and included clinical, biophysical, biomechanical, and psychosocial measures. There was considerable variability in tDCS treatment protocols across studies. The effectiveness of tDCS was inconsistent, particularly for clinical outcomes, with some studies indicating positive effects while others reported no significant effects.

conclusionsOverall, this review reveals inconsistent results for tDCS effectiveness in CLBP, likely due to variability in study designs, sample characteristics, treatment protocols, and outcome measures. Future well-designed trials are needed to clarify the therapeutic potential of tDCS for CLBP, particularly in combination with other interventions.

Indexed as

Chronic PainLow Back PainTranscranial Direct Current StimulationHumans

Identifiers

PMID40536666
PMCPMC12409359

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.