Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Yoga for Knee Osteoarthritis
Key facts
- Where
- Hamilton, London, and Sherbrooke, CanadaSee the 3 sites
Where in Canada
- McMaster UniversityHamilton, CanadaContact: Lisa Carlesso, PhDTaking people
- University of Western OntarioLondon, CanadaContact: Siobhan Schabrun, PhDTaking people
- Université de SherbrookeSherbrooke, CanadaContact: Guillaume Léonard, PhDTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorTrial details
- Who runs it
- McMaster University
- Trial code
- NCT06228573
- Record updated
- 28 August 2026
- Original description
People with knee arthritis often experience constant pain, and current treatments aren't very effective. This can lead to limited movement and more health problems. Knee arthritis is a big part of healthcare costs in Canada, and its pain is a major reason people see doctors. The pain is linked to complex nervous system changes, making current treatments, like exercise, not very successful.Read full original descriptionShow less
Combining Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Yoga for Improved Pain Management for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Pilot and Feasibility Trial
People with knee arthritis often experience constant pain, and current treatments aren't very effective. This can lead to limited movement and more health problems. Knee arthritis is a big part of healthcare costs in Canada, and its pain is a major reason people see doctors. The pain is linked to complex nervous system changes, making current treatments, like exercise, not very successful.
To address this, researchers suggest a new approach combining two things: a brain stimulation technique called Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and yoga. TDCS helps with pain by changing how the brain works, and yoga, a safe practice, focuses on overall well-being. Together, the investigators aim to improve how the nervous system works from top to bottom.
The research project wants to change how the arthritis pain is being managed by focusing on how it works. The investigators plan to test this combo in a study comparing real tDCS plus yoga with fake tDCS plus yoga. The investigators will look not only at pain but also at other measures related to pain and how the nervous system works. This new mix could be a meaningful way to reduce pain for people with knee arthritis.
Inclusion: community dwelling adults from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Hamilton and London, Ontario fulfilling the NICE criteria for KOA; ≥45 years of age; Diagnosis of Knee osteoarthritis OR; Having movement-related joint pain with either no morning knee stiffness or stiffness of 30 minutes or less AND; Experiencing an average pain intensity of ≥3 /10 in the past month.
Exclusion: Lower limb trauma or surgery within the last 6 months; Currently receiving care for KOA pain (e.g., physiotherapy); Metallic implants; Cochlear or ocular implant; Contraindications to transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) such as neurological or neuropsychiatric conditions; History of brain surgery or tumor; Epilepsy or history of substance abuse or dependence; Presence of a pacemaker or cardiac defibrillator; Systemic inflammatory arthritis; Any knee injection in the past 3 months; Inability to independently get up and down from the floor; Current participation in another OA clinical trial; Use of mobility aids; Planned absences exceeding 1 week; Eczema on the scalp.