Pain manage­ment

tDCS may help with fibromyalgia, knee osteoarthritis, and nerve pain.

How tDCS targets chronic pain

Chronic pain often changes how the brain and nervous system process pain signals, making them more sensitive over time.

tDCS places an electrode over the motor cortex, a brain area involved in movement. This activates the brain's own pain-reducing system, called the descending inhibitory pathway. This pathway turns down how strongly pain signals from the body reach the brain.

Over repeated sessions, these changes build up. Researchers call the brain's ability to reorganize its connections neuroplasticity. tDCS supports this process.

What the evidence shows

Level B

recommendation for chronic pain in clinical guidelines. This means it is recommended, though the evidence is not as extensive as depression's top rating (A-level).¹

33,000+

documented tDCS sessions with no serious side effects reported.²

Response rates vary. Not everyone responds to tDCS, and results differ from person to person. The evidence for pain is not as extensive as for depression, but it continues to grow.

Which pain conditions tDCS treats

Sooma tDCS is indicated for chronic pain due to:

  • fibromyalgia
  • knee osteoarthritis
  • neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injury (SCI), or phantom limb pain

tDCS may be worth considering if you want a non-drug option, either on its own or alongside your current pain treatment.

Where Sooma tDCS is available

Home delivery is available in Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden.

You can get Sooma tDCS through a clinic in Estonia, Finland, France and Germany.

You can get Sooma tDCS through a local distributor in Australia, Austria, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain and Switzerland.

For more details, see  Where to find Sooma.

What's in the kit

Sooma tDCS™ Home Therapy needs no prescription. Order it, then set it up at home with the Sooma App. Everything you need is included, from the stimulator to the electrodes.
What's in the kit

Frequently asked questions

  • No. Most people feel tingling, itching, or warmth on the skin under the electrodes during the session. In clinical data, these sensations are usually mild and short-lived; some people find them briefly uncomfortable at first, but they often ease within the first few minutes. tDCS uses a very gentle current - far less than you'd feel from static electricity.

  • Most people begin to notice improvements within 2 to 3 weeks of regular sessions. Some feel changes sooner — improved sleep quality and energy are often among the first things people notice. Others take a bit longer. The full treatment course is typically 3 to 6 weeks. This is generally faster than antidepressant medication, which often requires 6 to 8 weeks before you know whether it is working.

  • Yes. tDCS can be used alongside antidepressant medication. One key advantage of tDCS is that it's safe to combine with different types of medications. As tDCS does not enter your system like medications do, it can not have pharmacological interactions. In fact, the SELECT-TDCS trial demonstrated that tDCS combined with sertraline produced better outcomes than either treatment by itself. Many patients start tDCS as an add-on to their existing medication, and some are later able to reduce their medication in consultation with their doctor. We recommend consulting your doctor before making any changes to your treatment plan.

  • No. You can purchase Sooma tDCS™ directly for home delivery, no prescription is needed. However, we recommend consulting your doctor before beginning any new treatment or making changes to your treatment plan. If you have questions about whether tDCS is right for you, a healthcare provider can help.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a medical advice.

References

  1. Fregni, F. et al. Evidence-based guidelines and secondary meta-analysis for the use of transcranial direct current stimulation in neurological and psychiatric disorders. Int. J. Neuropsychopharmacol. 24, 256–313 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyaa051
  2. Bikson, M. et al. Safety of transcranial direct current stimulation: evidence-based update 2016. Brain Stimul. 9, 641–661 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2016.06.004