Sooma tDCS for pain management
Effective chronic pain relief in-clinic or at-home
Chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and neuropathic pain affect millions of people and are often difficult to control. Pharmacological options can be limited by tolerability, dependency and incomplete relief.
Sooma tDCS™ is an EU MDR-approved brain stimulation device for chronic pain. It is a tool for clinicians to deliver effective, drug-free care — as a stand-alone treatment or alongside existing analgesic therapy, in-clinic or at-home.
The treatment is evaluated specifically for: Fibromyalgia, Knee Osteoarthritis and Chronic Neuropathic Pain.
Evidence at-a-glance
Sooma tDCS is supported by a substantial base of randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses and international guidelines for management of pain.
Superior to placebo across different pain conditions
Across the eligible randomized controlled trials — 7 in fibromyalgia (355 patients), 6 in knee osteoarthritis (428 patients) and 9 in neuropathic pain (211 patients) — anodal tDCS reduced pain intensity more than sham. (1)
Level B international recommendation
The 2021 international evidence-based expert guidelines give tDCS a Level B recommendation for both neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia. (2)
Well established safety profile
No serious adverse events have been associated with tDCS in the clinical trial literature. Typical side effects are mild and transient — tingling, warmth and itching at the electrode site. Drop-out rates are low and similar to sham, with no withdrawal effects, and treatment is drug-free with no risk of dependency. (3)
1. Sooma Clinical Evaluation Report (2026)
2. Fregni F, El-Hagrassy MM, Pacheco-Barrios K, Carvalho S, 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. 2021 Apr 21;24(4):256-313. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyaa051
3. Antal A, Bjekić J, Ganho-Ávila A, et al. Low intensity transcranial electric stimulation: Safety, ethical, legal regulatory and application guidelines (2017-2025: An update) – endorsed by the European Society for Brain Stimulation (ESBS) and by the International Federation for Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN). Clin Neurophysiol. 2026;184:2111436. doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2025.2111436
Care targeted where it’s needed
Chronic pain is associated with altered excitability in the cortical networks that process the sensory and emotional dimensions of pain. Sooma tDCS is designed to modulate this activity directly.
Two scalp electrodes deliver a gentle, constant electrical current (2 mA). Anodal stimulation of the primary motor cortex (M1) increases excitability in networks that help dampen pain signalling; for fibromyalgia, stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is also effective and may particularly help patients whose pain has a strong affective component.
Rather than forcing neurons to fire, the current subtly shifts their resting state. The therapeutic benefit builds gradually as repeated daily sessions drive longer-lasting changes in neuronal excitability and connectivity through neuroplasticity. Relief is typically seen within about two weeks of treatment.
Suitable for different patient populations
Sooma tDCS is an additional tool in the clinician’s therapeutic toolbox. It is indicated for adults with chronic pain due to fibromyalgia, knee osteoarthritis, or neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury or phantom limb pain.
It can be used as a stand-alone treatment or as an adjunct to analgesic or other therapy. It is often a particularly good fit for patients who cannot tolerate, wish to reduce, or prefer to avoid pain medication, and for those seeking a non-pharmacological option with no risk of dependency.
While the treatment does not benefit every patient, it is very easy to try. The side-effects are typically mild and transient, and two weeks is enough time to see if treatment is helpful.
The treatment is typically offered by:
- General practitioners
- Physiotherapists and occupational therapists
- Neurologists and neurophysiologists
See how the treatment is done
DLPFC positioning shown on the video
The patient can self-administer the treatment session either in-clinic or at-home. This ensures that healthcare personnel resources are used efficiently, as they are free to do other things during the treatment session.
If the treatment session is done at-home, Sooma Portal allows clinicians to manage and monitor the treatments remotely.
Trusted by clinicians
Stories from real life
Home-Based tDCS: Extending Depression Care Beyond the Clinic
Read more“I Began to See Glimpses of Myself Again” – Erica’s Story of Living with Chronic Pain
Read more“When the pain subsided, life felt like my own again” – The Story of Gitta Förster
Read more“My brain fog cleared within the first week.” – Emma, 27, Oulu
Read more
Effective pain relief starts here
Contact us to start offering Sooma tDCS treatments to your patients.
Regulatory information
EU MDR certified
Class IIa medical device, CE 0598. Sooma tDCS™ is the first EU MDR-approved tDCS system.
Quality management
Designed in Finland under ISO 13485.
Data protection and security
Full compliance to GDPR with DPA and DPIA documentation available.
