Have you considered transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a treatment for pain? Many healthcare providers offer TMS as a treatment for fibromyalgia. However, is it effective?
Recent research analyzing previous studies about transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) reveals that high-frequency TMS can effectively treat pain. However, the treatment is still in a developmental stage and needs more research.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a relatively new pain therapy treatment. It is one of the treatment options available to those who have fibromyalgia. It is considered safe and non-invasive.
A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience provides insight into using TMS for treating pain.
Researchers analyzed 440 previous studies about transcranial magnetic stimulation in pain research from 2010 to 2021. Their goal was to find relevant research hotspots and characterize the field’s discovery process.
CiteSpace, a bibliometrics analysis visitation software, was used to analyze the data of the previous studies. CiteSpace aids researchers by allowing them to visualize patterns and trends in scientific literature. Web of Science is the primary source used for input data. A topic of interest can be searched, and the final search results can be downloaded.
Emerging Trends for Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Treat Pain
Keyword analysis was used to reveal emerging trends and direct future research.
The four main hot keywords revealed by the research were:
- neuropathic pain (pain that is either initiated or caused by a primary lesion or dysfunction in the somatosensory system),
- motor cortex (the most commonly targeted area of TMS in pain research),
- connectivity (a measure of a lack of connectivity between parts of the brain), and
- non-invasive brain stimulation (similar to TMS, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is another non-invasive brain stimulation technique for the treatment of pain).
This study may help investigators discover the publication patterns and emerging trends of TMS on pain research from 2010 to 2021. … The visual map shows the hot research directions of TMS on pain research in recent years, such as TMS on neuropathic pain, motor cortex, and connectivity.
Accepted Conclusions About Transcranial magnetic Stimulation in Pain Research
The authors identified three primary points or conclusions about the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation in pain research: First, they found there is a “definite analgesic effect of high-frequency rTMS of M1 contralateral to pain side in neuropathic pain.” Second, there are inconclusive recommendations regarding rTMS of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain.” Finally, they found there “is low quality evidence that single doses of high-frequency rTMS of the motor cortex may have short-term effects on chronic pain.”
The authors concluded that TMS is still in a developmental stage and more research is needed. They emphasized the need for more prospective, multi-center, large-sample, and randomized controlled trials.
Reference: Li C, Sun M, Tian S. Research hotspots and effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation in pain: A bibliometric analysis. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2022;16. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2022.887246
Recent Posts
Do you feel like you are suffering more during the pandemic? A recent study shows most of us with fibromyalgia experienced greater pain and other fibromyalgia-related symptoms during the pandemic. As...