The Immediate Effect of Applying Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) on Sympathetic Ganglion and Gastrocnemius for Popliteal Blood Flow

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT06882733

Acronym

TENS

Enrollment

Registered

2025-03-18

Start date

2024-12-03

Completion date

2025-12-01

Last updated

2025-07-18

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Blood Flow, Popliteal, Sympathetic Ganglia, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

Keywords

transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), blood flow, sympathetic ganglia

Brief summary

This study aims to evaluate the immediate hemodynamic effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on the popliteal artery and vein. Vascular issues like PAOD and DVT are common in patients with diabetes, obesity, or immobility due to increased resistance and reduced blood flow. Traditional treatments (medication or surgery) are not always feasible, prompting interest in TENS as an alternative. Although primarily used for pain relief, TENS may enhance blood flow. This research compares different stimulation frequencies (80 Hz vs. 4 Hz) and sites (gastrocnemius muscle vs. thoracolumbar sympathetic ganglia) to identify the most effective configuration.

Interventions

DEVICETranscutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation，TENS

low frequency (4Hz) and sympathetic ganglion(T12.L1.L2) low frequency (4Hz) and gastrocnemius high frequency (80Hz) and sympathetic ganglion(T12.L1.L2) high frequency (80Hz) and gastrocnemius

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

1. Healthy people 2. Age: 18 years and above (inclusive) 3. Body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24

Exclusion criteria

1. Unable to complete two interventions within a week 2. Have contraindications to electrotherapy (for example: metal implants in the body, open wounds, pregnancy, sensory loss) 3. Obvious varicose veins 4. Unable to lie down for about 1 to 2 hours 5. Taking drugs or nutritional supplements that affect autonomic nervous activity or vasodilation (for example: Ginkgo biloba) 6. Smoking 7. Ankle and Ankle Index (ABI) less than 0.9 or greater than 1.3

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Doppler ultrasound measurement of changes in popliteal fossa blood flow	45 minutes	Using Doppler ultrasound to measure blood flow before, during, immediately after, and 15 minutes after electrical stimulation to observe the effects of electrical stimulation on blood flow.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
heart rate	45 minutes	oximeter to measure heart rate before, during, immediately after, and 15 minutes after electrical stimulation to observe the effects of electrical stimulation on heart rate.

Countries

Taiwan

Contacts

Primary ContactMengjie Shen

mengjie910419@gmail.com+886935751158

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026