{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T21:21:18Z","timestamp":1787779278582,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"Elsevier BV","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790812800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.elsevier.com\/tdm\/userlicense\/1.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790812800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.elsevier.com\/legal\/tdmrep-license"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,9]],"date-time":"2026-08-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786233600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["clinicalkey.com","clinicalkey.com.au","clinicalkey.es","clinicalkey.fr","clinicalkey.jp","elsevier.com","sciencedirect.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Complementary Therapies in Medicine"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"DOI":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T15:45:56Z","timestamp":1786376756000},"page":"103419","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/elsevier_cm_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"special_numbering":"C","title":["Efficacy of transcranial alternating current stimulation for musculoskeletal pain and sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis"],"prefix":"10.1016","volume":"101","author":[{"given":"Zhengquan","family":"Chen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Miaojing","family":"Qian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuqing","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jing","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zixiao","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Weiyan","family":"Cai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiayi","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jia","family":"Han","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"You","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"78","reference":[{"issue":"9","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1976","DOI":"10.1097\/j.pain.0000000000001939","article-title":"The revised International Association for the Study of Pain definition of pain: concepts, challenges, and compromises[J]","volume":"161","author":"Raja","year":"2020","journal-title":"Pain"},{"issue":"9","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1740","DOI":"10.1097\/j.pain.0000000000002557","article-title":"A global study of pain prevalence across 52 countries: examining the role of country-level contextual factors[J]","volume":"163","author":"Zimmer","year":"2022","journal-title":"Pain"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1080\/19932820.2020.1730550","article-title":"A survey of chronic pain in China[J]","volume":"15","author":"Yongjun","year":"2020","journal-title":"Libyan J Med"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"28","DOI":"10.1097\/j.pain.0000000000001390","article-title":"The IASP classification of chronic pain for ICD-11: chronic primary pain[J]","volume":"160","author":"Nicholas","year":"2019","journal-title":"Pain"},{"issue":"4","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1002\/jcsm.70008","article-title":"Global burden of musculoskeletal disorders in adults aged 50 and over, 1990\u20132021: risk factors and sociodemographic inequalities[J]","volume":"16","author":"Guan","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Cachex-- Sarcopenia Muscle"},{"issue":"2","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"296","DOI":"10.1097\/j.pain.0000000000003037","article-title":"Overview of the economic burden of musculoskeletal pain in children and adolescents: a systematic review with meta-analysis[J]","volume":"165","author":"Santo","year":"2024","journal-title":"Pain"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1097\/j.pain.0000000000001389","article-title":"The IASP classification of chronic pain for ICD-11: chronic secondary musculoskeletal pain[J]","volume":"160","author":"Perrot","year":"2019","journal-title":"Pain"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1186\/s10194-020-01200-8","article-title":"Individual pain sensitivity is associated with resting-state cortical activities in healthy individuals but not in patients with migraine: a magnetoencephalography study[J]","volume":"21","author":"Hsiao","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Headache Pain"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4873","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-024-55290-4","article-title":"Characterizing clinical progression in patients with musculoskeletal pain by pain severity and central sensitization-related symptoms[J]","volume":"14","author":"Shigetoh","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.2174\/1570159X20666221012112725","article-title":"Central sensitization and pain: pathophysiologic and clinical insights[J]","volume":"22","author":"Curatolo","year":"2024","journal-title":"Curr Neuropharmacol"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1621","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-023-49761-3","article-title":"A systematic review and network meta-analysis of pharmaceutical interventions used to manage chronic pain[J]","volume":"14","author":"Shetty","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"issue":"5","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"742","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpain.2023.02.026","article-title":"Barriers and Facilitators of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies for Chronic Pain in Adults: A Systematic Review[J]","volume":"24","author":"Goldsmith","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Pain"},{"issue":"5","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1016\/S1526-5900(03)00556-X","article-title":"Management of opioid side effects in cancer-related and chronic noncancer pain: a systematic review[J]","volume":"4","author":"McNicol","year":"2003","journal-title":"J Pain"},{"key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1937","DOI":"10.2147\/JPR.S168188","article-title":"Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in chronic pain: implications of new data for clinical practice[J]","volume":"11","author":"Ho","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Pain Res"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1131","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-022-08158-0","article-title":"A systematic review of economic analyses of psychological interventions and therapies in health-related settings[J]","volume":"22","author":"Nicklas","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"issue":"8","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"629","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tins.2021.05.003","article-title":"Neurobiology of brain oscillations in acute and chronic pain[J]","volume":"44","author":"Tan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Trends Neurosci"},{"key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3389\/fnins.2025.1656588","article-title":"Decoding pain's neural rhythm: Gamma oscillation mechanisms, therapeutic modulation, and translational challenges in pain management[J]","volume":"19","author":"Zhang","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front Neurosci"},{"issue":"6","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1018","DOI":"10.1002\/ejp.2249","article-title":"Modulation of pain perception through transcranial alternating current stimulation and its nonlinear relationship with the simulated electric field magnitude[J]","volume":"28","author":"Ikarashi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Eur J Pain (U Kingd)"},{"issue":"5","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1157","DOI":"10.1097\/j.pain.0000000000003452","article-title":"Alpha transcranial alternating current stimulation modulates pain anticipation and perception in a context-dependent manner[J]","volume":"166","author":"Li","year":"2025","journal-title":"Pain"},{"issue":"3","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"701","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brs.2025.03.013","article-title":"Comparing analgesic effects of temporal interference stimulation on ventral posterolateral thalamus and high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation on sensorimotor cortex during sustained experimental pain[J]","volume":"18","author":"Jia","year":"2025","journal-title":"Brain Stimul"},{"key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2023.1323520","article-title":"Effectiveness of transcranial alternating current stimulation for controlling chronic pain: a systematic review[J]","volume":"14","author":"Chang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Neurol"},{"key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"n71","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.n71","article-title":"The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews[J]","volume":"372","author":"Page","year":"2021","journal-title":"Bmj"},{"key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"d5928","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.d5928","article-title":"The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials[J]","volume":"343","author":"Higgins","year":"2011","journal-title":"Bmj"},{"key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib24","article-title":"Introduction to the GRADE tool for rating certainty in evidence and recommendations[J]","volume":"25","author":"Prasad","year":"2024","journal-title":"Clin Epidemiol Glob Health"},{"issue":"3","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpain.2018.09.004","article-title":"Identifying and engaging neuronal oscillations by transcranial alternating current stimulation in patients with chronic low back pain: a randomized, crossover, double-blind, sham-controlled pilot study[J]","volume":"20","author":"Ahn","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Pain"},{"key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3265","DOI":"10.2147\/JPR.S208030","article-title":"Targeting the autonomic nervous system balance in patients with chronic low back pain using transcranial alternating current stimulation: a randomized, crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study[J","volume":"12","author":"Prim","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Pain Res"},{"issue":"4","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"256","DOI":"10.2340\/16501977-0315","article-title":"Pain reduction using transcranial electrostimulation: a double blind \"active placebo\" controlled trial[J]","volume":"41","author":"Gabis","year":"2009","journal-title":"J Rehabil Med"},{"issue":"2","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1097\/00002060-200302000-00001","article-title":"Immediate influence of transcranial electrostimulation on pain and beta-endorphin blood levels: an active placebo-controlled study[J]","volume":"82","author":"Gabis","year":"2003","journal-title":"Am J Phys Med Rehabil"},{"issue":"9","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib29","article-title":"Using high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation to treat patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized double-blinded controlled study[J]","volume":"12","author":"Lin","year":"2022","journal-title":"Life (Basel Switz)"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"199","DOI":"10.1007\/s00406-020-01214-y","article-title":"Beyond physiotherapy and pharmacological treatment for fibromyalgia syndrome: tailored tACS as a new therapeutic tool[J]","volume":"271","author":"Bernardi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci"},{"issue":"9","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1607","DOI":"10.1002\/ejp.2313","article-title":"Neuroinflammatory activation in sensory and motor regions of the cortex is related to sensorimotor function in individuals with low back pain maintained by nociplastic mechanisms: A preliminary proof-of-concept study[J]","volume":"28","author":"Shraim","year":"2024","journal-title":"Eur J Pain"},{"issue":"3","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1097\/AJP.0000000000000534","article-title":"The relationship between structural and functional brain changes and altered emotion and cognition in chronic low back pain brain changes: a systematic review of MRI and fMRI Studies[J]","volume":"34","author":"Ng","year":"2018","journal-title":"Clin J Pain"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"252","DOI":"10.1038\/s41398-020-00941-z","article-title":"Polygenic evidence and overlapped brain functional connectivities for the association between chronic pain and sleep disturbance[J]","volume":"10","author":"Sun","year":"2020","journal-title":"Transl Psychiatry"},{"issue":"6","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"583","DOI":"10.1177\/1073858418809074","article-title":"Low back pain: the potential contribution of supraspinal motor control and proprioception[J]","volume":"25","author":"Meier","year":"2019","journal-title":"Neuroscientist"},{"key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3389\/fnins.2022.1074605","article-title":"Causal association of sleep disturbances and low back pain: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study[J]","volume":"16","author":"Luo","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Neurosci"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.1007\/s10143-023-02032-1","article-title":"Brain stimulation for chronic pain management: a narrative review of analgesic mechanisms and clinical evidence[J]","volume":"46","author":"Szymoniuk","year":"2023","journal-title":"Neurosurg Rev"},{"key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2024.120572","article-title":"The phase of tACS-entrained pre-SMA beta oscillations modulates motor inhibition[J]","volume":"290","author":"Fang","year":"2024","journal-title":"NeuroImage"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7286","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-025-92444-4","article-title":"Neural mechanisms underlying the after-effects of repetitive paired-pulse TMS with \u03b2 tACS on the human primary motor cortex[J]","volume":"15","author":"Nakazono","year":"2025","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"issue":"10","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1256","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpain.2021.03.150","article-title":"Modulating brain rhythms of pain using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)-a sham-controlled study in healthy human participants[J]","volume":"22","author":"May","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Pain"},{"issue":"6","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1018","DOI":"10.1002\/ejp.2249","article-title":"Modulation of pain perception through transcranial alternating current stimulation and its nonlinear relationship with the simulated electric field magnitude[J]","volume":"28","author":"Ikarashi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Eur J Pain"},{"issue":"11","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci10110888","article-title":"Low intensity, transcranial, alternating current stimulation reduces migraine attack burden in a home application set-up: a double-blinded, randomized feasibility study[J]","volume":"10","author":"Antal","year":"2020","journal-title":"Brain Sci"},{"issue":"7","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib42","article-title":"The Importance of Sleep for People With Chronic Pain: Current Insights and Evidence[J]","volume":"6","author":"Whale","year":"2022","journal-title":"JBMR"},{"issue":"1","key":"10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419_bib43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"440","DOI":"10.1186\/s12891-022-05318-5","article-title":"The effectiveness of non-pharmacological sleep interventions for people with chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis[J]","volume":"23","author":"Whale","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Musculoskelet Disord"}],"container-title":["Complementary Therapies in Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/api.elsevier.com\/content\/article\/PII:S0965229926001020?httpAccept=text\/xml","content-type":"text\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/api.elsevier.com\/content\/article\/PII:S0965229926001020?httpAccept=text\/plain","content-type":"text\/plain","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T20:54:22Z","timestamp":1787777662000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/linkinghub.elsevier.com\/retrieve\/pii\/S0965229926001020"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"references-count":43,"alternative-id":["S0965229926001020"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419","relation":{},"ISSN":["0965-2299"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0965-2299","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"assertion":[{"value":"Elsevier","name":"publisher","label":"This article is maintained by"},{"value":"Efficacy of transcranial alternating current stimulation for musculoskeletal pain and sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis","name":"articletitle","label":"Article Title"},{"value":"Complementary Therapies in Medicine","name":"journaltitle","label":"Journal Title"},{"value":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.ctim.2026.103419","name":"articlelink","label":"CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version"},{"value":"article","name":"content_type","label":"Content Type"},{"value":"\u00a9 2026 Published by Elsevier Ltd.","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright"}],"article-number":"103419"}}