Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Pharmacotherapy in Pain Management in Patients with Chronic Pain

Background: A variety of pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods are used to treat chronic pain. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) through stimulating the central and peripheral nerves is a different and promising method for the treatment of chronic pain. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of tDCS and pharmacotherapy in pain management in patients with chronic pain in Tehran, Iran. Methods: The present study followed a clinical trial design. The statistical population comprised all patients with chronic pain who were referred to Pardis Multidisciplinary Pain Clinic in Tehran within 2020 - 21. A total of 60 patients willing to participate in the study were selected using convenience sampling. The participants were randomly divided into three groups, including pharmacotherapy (treatment by gabapentin with a dosage of 600 mg twice per day), tDCS, and control (n = 20 per group). The research instrument included the McGill Pain Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance with SPSS software (version 24.0). Results: The results showed that both pharmacotherapy and tDCS interventions led to a reduction in the mean scores of pain management components, compared to the control group (P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the effects of the two experimental groups on pain management components. Conclusions: The tDCS and pharmacotherapy were both shown to be effective in pain management in patients with chronic pain. Therefore, in addition to pharmacotherapy, tDCS is also recommended for the treatment of chronic pain.