Exploring the Role of a Noninvasive Audio-Based Therapeutic System for Pain and Symptom Relief: Single-Arm Exploratory Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND

In the United States and worldwide, chronic pain affects a vast number of people and is one of the leading reasons adults seek medical care. In the United States, 24.3% of adults reported experiencing chronic pain in the prior 3 months in 2023. Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts ≥3 months, significantly disrupting one's daily functioning and quality of life. Chronic pain can also be accompanied by other conditions, including anxiety and depression. Health care providers should be aware of several limitations in their current treatment modalities. Although opioid analgesics are used for moderate to severe pain management, they cause many serious adverse effects, including sedation, respiratory depression, constipation, and a high risk of dependence and addiction. Other pain medications, such as nonopioid analgesics, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, adjuvant analgesics, and corticosteroids, also cause a range of side effects and organ toxicity.

OBJECTIVE

We conducted a single-arm exploratory pilot study to explore the potential role of a noninvasive, transdermal, audio-based therapeutic system among 24 police professionals aged 21 to 65 years with chronic pain and/or associated conditions, including migraine, sleep disorders, stress, anxiety, and conventional headaches.

METHODS

In this STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology)-guided pilot study, we explored the feasibility and perceived effectiveness of a self-administered intervention based on the Transdermal Acoustic Pain Suppression (TAPS) system among police personnel in West Palm Beach, Florida. Participants completed a flexible 30-day protocol integrated into their work schedules, with data collection spanning 5 months due to operational constraints. We used percentages as measures of effect and the chi-square test and Fisher exact test for significance testing. All P values were 2-sided, with a level of significance of .05.

RESULTS

In this small pilot study, following TAPS therapy, more than one-third (n=9, 37.5%) of participants experienced improvement in their condition, and half (n=12, 50%) reported reduced symptoms, including notable pain reduction.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the findings from this small pilot study are preliminary, we believe they support the rationale for larger analytic studies designed a priori to test the hypothesis.