NCT07317037

ActiTENS Mini (Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation) in Women With Chronic Pain From Pelvic Endometriosis

ActiTENS Mini (Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation) in Women With Chronic Pain From Pelvic Endometriosis : a Randomized, Controlled Multicenter Cross-over Study Compared to Weak TENS Treatment, Followed by an Open-label Extension Phase

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 208 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Endometriosis is a condition that often causes pelvic pain, particularly during menstruation but also continuously and over long periods. Pharmacological treatments are only moderately effective or are associated with adverse effects. In this context, the search for non-pharmacological approaches to endometriosis pain is essential. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a portable pain relief technique that is rapidly developing for the treatment of endometriosis pain. The protocol presented aims to confirm the analgesic efficacy of this treatment for endometriosis pain. It will involve 27 gynecology and pain departments in mainland France. It will offer 30-minute sessions of daily stimulation, either suprapubic or lumbar. Several types of stimulation will be compared, with three 3-month phases, two blind phases, and a 3-month phase in which the system used will be fixed. The aim will be to reduce pain intensity as well as other parameters relating to quality of life and the impact of pain. If the effectiveness of this device is confirmed, it could lead to TENS being made available for endometriosis pain and potentially prescribed by gynecologists and midwives.

Detailed description

The study will be proposed to women of adult age during a routine consultation for endometriosis-related pain, in gynecology and pain centers, in France, if they meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. Information will be given to them and a necessary period of reflection not exceeding one week will be granted to them. First phase: a cross-over trial After giving their informed consent, women will be included and randomized either to the actiTENS mini treatment arm or to the low activity treatment arm for 3 months, followed by a wash out period of 28 days. After this first cross-over period, women initially randomized to the actiTENS mini arm will be switched to the low activity arm for 3 months, inversely patients initially in the low activity treatment arm will be switched to the actiTENS mini treatment for the same duration of 3 months. During the first cross-over study, women will be treated 60 minutes twice daily by a TENS device applied both on the pelvic anterior and sacral posterior region, with the P2 program. Second phase: an open-label trial After a wash out period of 28 days, all patients will enter the 3-month open phase where only actiTENS mini treatment will be prescribed for 3 months, women choosing freely the region of stimulation (anterior, posterior or both), the program of stimulation and the duration of stimulation.

Conditions

• Endometriosis

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	actiTENS mini - weak stimulation	Patients will wear the DM in "actiTENS mini" mode for 3 months then 1 washout period will be carried out before continuing the study with the DM in mode "weak stimulation" for 3 months. Finally, the last 3-month period will be carried out after 1 month of washout where patients will use the DM as they wish. The "weak stimulation" is the control group. The TENS will deliver current for 1 minute every 10 minutes, ramping down to 0 in the last 15 seconds. In the experimental group, patients will use the actiTENS mini, which will deliver electrical stimulation: Program P2 (Gate control 80 Hz).
DEVICE	weak stimulation - actiTENS mini	Patients will wear the DM in "weak stimulation" mode for 3 months then 1 washout period will be carried out before continuing the study with the DM in mode "actiTENS mini" for 3 months. Finally, the last 3-month period will be carried out after 1 month of washout where patients will use the DM as they wish. The "weak stimulation" is the control group. The TENS will deliver current for 1 minute every 10 minutes, ramping down to 0 in the last 15 seconds. In the experimental group, patients will use the actiTENS mini, which will deliver electrical stimulation: Program P2 (Gate control 80 Hz).

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-03-01
• Primary completion: 2027-12-01
• Completion: 2028-08-01
• First posted: 2026-01-05
• Last updated: 2026-01-07

Locations

27 sites across 1 country: France