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Real members of myRAteam have posted questions and answers that support our community guidelines, and should not be taken as medical advice. Looking for the latest medically reviewed content by doctors and experts? Visit our resource section.

Are Implanted Nerve Devises being used for controlling R.A. ?

A myRAteam Member asked a question 💭
Port hope ontario canada
November 24, 2025
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Rheumatoid Nodules: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments Read Article...
A myRAteam Member

It is a treatment option if RA patients do not respond to JAK inhibitors like Rinvoc and Xeljanz or Biologics. Insurance companies have people go through hoops

November 24, 2025
A myRAteam Member

Yes they are. It's another treatment option for RA patients. The size of the device itself is approximately as big as a multivitamin. At first, it does feel like something is there, not guite the feeling like something is stuck in the throat, but similar. As you get used to it, that feeling goes away.
I think all in all for me, the worst part was recovering from the surgery and that wasn't too bad. I couldn't talk for close to a week post-surgery, due to being intubated for the surgery.
The sedation was seemless. I'd never had surgery before this procedure, but my experience was amazing. I faded out and then came right back, no issues.

November 24, 2025
myRAteam

Are implanted nerve devices being used to control RA?

Yes, the FDA recently approved the first implantable nerve device for RA. It's called the SetPoint System, and it's designed for adults with moderately to severely active RA who haven't responded well to biologics or JAK inhibitors.

The device is about the size of a Show Full Answer

Are implanted nerve devices being used to control RA?

Yes, the FDA recently approved the first implantable nerve device for RA. It's called the SetPoint System, and it's designed for adults with moderately to severely active RA who haven't responded well to biologics or JAK inhibitors.

The device is about the size of a vitamin tablet and is placed on the left vagus nerve in your neck through a small outpatient procedure. Once implanted, it delivers 60 seconds of gentle electrical stimulation once per day.

The device works by stimulating the vagus nerve, which helps regulate your body's immune response and inflammation. The idea is to "jump-start" your body's natural anti-inflammatory reflexes to reduce the overactive immune response that causes RA symptoms.

In clinical trials, people using the device showed significant improvement in their RA symptoms after three months. After 12 months, nearly half achieved low disease activity or remission, and 75 percent were able to stay off biologics or targeted synthetic DMARDs for a full year.

The most common side effect was hoarseness, affecting about 5 percent of participants. Some people experienced risks typical of nerve surgery, like pain or infection at the implant site, mostly within the first three months.

SetPoint Medical plans to roll out the implant in select U.S. cities in 2025, with wider availability expected in 2026. If you're interested, talk to your rheumatologist about whether this might be an option for you.

November 24, 2025

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