Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Painful and Inflammatory Erosive Hand Osteoarthritis

Erosive hand osteoarthritis (EHOA) is a difficult-to-treat subtype of HOA characterized by local and systemic low-grade inflammation as well as by high level of pain and of disability. Auricular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a promising therapeutic strategy that may reduce inflammation and pain level. ESTIVAL is a 12 weeks randomized sham-controlled trial investigating the symptomatic efficacy and safety of tVNS in patients with symptomatic and inflammatory EHOA. tVNS will be performed using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device connected to an auricular electrode stimulating the cutaneous area of the left ear innervated by the auricular ascendant branch of the vagus nerve. The active and sham device\'s will display similar appearance but the sham one will not give electric signal.