A new study suggests that a wearable device using electrical nerve stimulation could provide relief for people dealing with long COVID symptoms like chronic pain and fatigue.
The research was conducted by scientists from UCLA and Baylor College of Medicine and published in Scientific Reports.
Long COVID affects about 1 in 13 adults in the U.S., causing persistent issues such as widespread pain, extreme tiredness, and muscle weakness.
These symptoms can make everyday activities, like walking or completing simple tasks, difficult.
The study focused on a device called Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS).
This device delivers low-voltage electrical currents to help ease pain, reduce fatigue, and improve mobility. Participants wore the device, which was strapped around their upper calf and connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth.
Researchers tested the TENS device on 25 people who experienced long COVID-related musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and walking difficulties.
Participants were divided into two groups.
One group used a high-dose (active) version of the device, while the other used a low-dose (placebo) version. Both groups wore the device for three to five hours daily over four weeks.
At the end of the study, the high-dose group showed significant improvements.
They experienced 26.1% more pain relief compared to the placebo group and an 8% improvement in walking speed during fast walking.
Participants in the high-dose group also reported feeling a greater benefit overall (71.2% compared to 61.4% in the placebo group).
Dr. Bijan Najafi, one of the study’s lead researchers, explained that the wearable nature of the device made it easy for participants to use throughout their day without interfering with their routines.
“This wearable TENS system provided immediate, on-demand relief from pain and fatigue, making it simple to incorporate into daily life,” Najafi said.
The study’s findings offer hope for those living with long COVID. However, Najafi emphasized the need for more research due to the small number of participants in this study.
He also highlighted the potential for TENS technology to help with other conditions involving chronic pain and fatigue, such as fibromyalgia or chemotherapy-related side effects. “This study provides hope for a non-invasive solution to manage lingering COVID-19 symptoms,” he said. “But further research is needed to confirm these findings.”
The wearable TENS device could be a promising step toward helping millions of people recover from the long-term effects of COVID-19. However, researchers stress that larger studies are necessary to better understand its benefits.
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