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IntroductionThe chikungunya virus infection is still an epidemic in Brazil with an incidence of 59.4 cases per 100 000 in the Northeast region. More than 60% of the patients present relapsing and remitting chronic arthralgia with debilitating pain lasting for years. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) appears promising as a novel neuromodulation approach for pain-related networks to alleviate pain in several pain syndromes. Our objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of tDCS (C3/Fp2 montage) on pain, muscle strength, functionality and quality of life in chronic arthralgia.Methods and analysisThis protocol is a single-centre, parallel-design, double-blind, randomised, sham-controlled trial. Forty participants will be randomised to either an active or sham tDCS. A total of 10 sessions will be administered over 2 weeks (one per weekday) using a monophasic continuous current with an intensity of 2 mA for 20 min. Participants will be evaluated at baseline, after the 10th session, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after intervention. Primary outcome: pain assessed using numeric rating scale and algometry. Secondary outcomes: muscle strength, functionality and quality of life. The effects of stimulation will be calculated using a mixed analysis of variance model.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the ethics committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences of Trairí, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (No. 2.413.851) and registered on the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials. Study results will be disseminated through presentations at conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberRBR-469yd6.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain resulting in central sensitization of nociceptive signaling. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left motor cortex (M1) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique indicated for a broad range of chronic pain disorders, including FM. Studies suggest that left and right M1 (contralateral and ipsilateral hemisphere of tDCS stimulation) are modulated. But it is necessary to clarify the differences in clinical pain perception comparing the right and left side of the body. This study aimed to evaluate the pain-related difference between right-left side of the body after five sessions of anodal tDCS in women with FM. METHODS: A double-blinded, parallel, randomized, sham--controlled trial with 30 women with FM was performed. Five sessions of anodal C3 and cathodal supraorbital (Fp2) tDCS were conducted (2 mA for 20 min). Pain, impact of FM and anxiety Does anodal transcranial direct current stimulation over left motor cortex show body side pain-related difference in fibromyalgia?A estimulação transcraniana por corrente contínua anódica sobre o córtex motor esquerdo apresenta diferença na dor entre os hemicorpos na fibromialgia?