{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]],"date-time":"2026-06-19T05:54:45Z","timestamp":1781848485432,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]],"date-time":"2026-06-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781827200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Glob. Women\u2019s Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Intercostobrachial nerve (ICBN) syndrome is a common peripheral sensory nerve injury following axillary surgery for breast cancer. It is characterized by persistent numbness and burning pain extending from the affected axilla to the medial aspect of the upper arm, as well as restricted shoulder joint mobility, which severely impacts postoperative recovery and quality of life. Current interventions primarily focus on symptomatic analgesia and functional exercises, lacking standardized external treatment protocols to promote nerve repair. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) combines the advantages of acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical stimulation. It is non-invasive and has high patient acceptance. Preliminary studies suggest it can promote axonal regeneration and myelin formation, yet scientific evidence-based evidence for ICBN syndrome is lacking. This study aims to systematically evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of TEAS on ICBN syndrome through a prospective, randomized, sham-controlled trial, providing evidence-based medical evidence for clinical practice.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods and analysis<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This prospective, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial will be conducted at the Yunnan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. We plan to recruit 200 patients with ICBN syndrome after breast cancer surgery. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the TEAS group or the Sham TEAS group, with 100 cases in each group. Both groups will start receiving treatment on the first postoperative day, administered once every other day. Ten sessions will constitute one course, for a total of three courses. The primary outcome measure is CMS. Secondary outcome measures include MMT, EMG, VAS, SWMT, FACT-B, SF-36, and TCM-SD. Adverse events will be recorded throughout the study.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Clinical Trial Registration<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:ext-link>https:\/\/itmctr.ccebtcm.org.cn\/mgt\/project\/view\/2041939715654978881<\/jats:ext-link>\n                      , identifier, ITMCTR2024000864.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fgwh.2026.1826269","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]],"date-time":"2026-06-19T05:46:53Z","timestamp":1781848013000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for intercostobrachial nerve syndrome after breast cancer surgery: a randomized controlled trial protocol"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"7","author":[{"given":"Qilian","family":"Xia","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Yunnan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine","place":["Kunming, Yunnan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Linna","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The First Clinical Medical School, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine","place":["Kunming, Yunnan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuhuan","family":"Sun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The First Clinical Medical School, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine","place":["Kunming, Yunnan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shumo","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The First Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University","place":["Kunming, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xingtai","family":"Hu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University","place":["Shanghai, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zekai","family":"Liang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Second Clinical Medical School, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine","place":["Kunming, Yunnan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ziyou","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Second Clinical Medical School, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine","place":["Kunming, Yunnan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aimei","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The First Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University","place":["Kunming, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rong","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The First Clinical Medical School, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine","place":["Kunming, Yunnan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.6004\/jnccn.2024.0035","article-title":"Breast cancer, version 3.2024, NCCN clinical practice guidelines in oncology","volume":"22","author":"Gradishar","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Natl Compr Canc Netw"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e1101","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.1101","article-title":"Origin, branching, and communications of the intercostobrachial nerve: a meta-analysis with implications for mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection in breast cancer","volume":"9","author":"Henry","year":"2017","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110214","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejso.2025.110214","article-title":"Intercostobrachial nerve preservation during breast cancer surgery to prevent chronic postsurgical pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"51","author":"Li","year":"2025","journal-title":"Eur J Surg Oncol"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1003","DOI":"10.1097\/MS9.0000000000001622","article-title":"Preservation versus dissection of the intercostobrachial nerve for breast cancer surgeries: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"86","author":"Al-Dardery","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ann Med Surg"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"246","DOI":"10.1097\/j.pain.0000000000001398","article-title":"What makes surgical nerve injury painful? 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