COLUMBIA, SC
Neuropathy Clinical Trials
No neuropathy study is enrolling in the Columbia SC metro, and we would rather say so plainly. The nearest is about seventy miles away, and neither nearby option serves nerve damage from diabetes. Compensation is provided for eligible participants once one opens here.
0
Open in the Midlands
70
Miles to the Nearest
+/- $100
Per Visit
New here? Read how this page works
First, here is the honest picture. Nothing is open in the Midlands, and neither nearby study covers the common kind. So here is how to use this page.
- Find out what is causing yours. Because neuropathy is a word for several different diseases, and the cause decides which studies exist for you.
- Ask for four ordinary blood tests. Notably, vitamin B12, thyroid, kidney function and a blood count explain a real share of unexplained cases.
- If chemotherapy is coming, raise prevention now. In fact, the nearest study has to start within three days of your first dose.
- Finally, tap the button. Then we keep your details on file and call you when a study opens near you.
Of course, checking never signs you up for anything. You are only seeing where you might fit.
The Nearest Studies to Columbia
Two, at about seventy and a hundred miles. However, neither one is for the commonest kind of nerve damage.
The two nearest studies, and neither is for the common kind
Nothing runs in the Midlands. Also, neither of these serves the numb burning feet of diabetes, which is the commonest case by a wide margin.
Stopping Nerve Damage Before It Starts
SWOG Cancer Research Network / Late stage device
This is prevention rather than treatment, and the timing is everything. It is for people about to start certain chemotherapy drugs that often damage the nerves. Wraps cool or squeeze your arms and legs during each infusion, so less drug reaches the hands and feet. Every group gets a real working device, because the three arms differ in what the device does. So there is no dummy and no fake wrap anywhere in it.
Payment is not published.
Get on the list →More details
Why researchers are excited: numb, burning hands and feet after chemotherapy can last for years, and nothing reliably reverses it. Meanwhile, the only real chance to act is before the first dose.
Who this study is looking for
- A solid tumour, rather than a blood cancer
- Also, starting one of the named chemotherapy plans within three days of joining
- Besides that, no nerve damage already, from any cause
- Finally, able to fill in the forms in English or Spanish
Probably not a fit if: any nerve damage you already have rules you out. So mild tingling from diabetes often ends it at screening. Also, any earlier chemotherapy known to harm nerves, and fingers that go white in the cold.
- Placebo group: None. All three groups wear a real device, and they differ only in cooling and pressure.
- How long: The device is used at every infusion. Nerve checks run to 52 weeks.
- Clinic visits: About 5 study visits, at the start and at weeks 6, 12, 24 and 52. However, the device is used at every chemotherapy session, so each of those appointments runs about an hour longer.
- Phone calls: None published.
- Most invasive part: Nothing added beyond optional blood samples. So the common complaint is simply that the cooling is cold and hard to sit through.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: SMC Center for Hematology Oncology, Union SC 29379; and McLeod Regional, Florence SC 29506.
- Drive from Columbia: Union is about 70 miles north west, so roughly an hour and twenty minutes.
- Raise this at the treatment planning visit. The three day window is brutal, and anyone already partway through chemotherapy is too late. So ask before your first dose.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
For Gene Carriers With No Symptoms Yet
BridgeBio / Late stage tablet
This one is unusual, because it is for people who feel completely well. It is for carriers of a faulty TTR gene, which can later damage nerves and the heart. The tablet aims to stop that damage ever starting. Half the group gets a dummy, and the follow up runs about seven years. The nearest sites are at Greenville and Charleston.
Payment is not published.
Get on the list →More details
Why researchers are excited: once these nerves are damaged the change is hard to undo, so acting before symptoms is the point. Meanwhile, families who know they carry this gene have had nothing to do but wait.
Who this study is looking for
- A confirmed faulty TTR gene from a proper genetic test
- Also, no symptoms at all yet, in nerves or heart
- Besides that, your age within ten years either side of when your family typically develops it
- Finally, aged 18 to 75, and able to have a heart scan
Probably not a fit if: any sign of the condition already rules you out. So this is strictly for people who are still well. Also, previous treatment aimed at this gene, and inability to have the scan.
- Placebo group: Yes. Half the design is a dummy tablet, and neither side knows which.
- How long: About seven years of follow up.
- Clinic visits: Roughly 15 to 20 in person across about seven years, so a couple a year. But treat that as an estimate, because only the endpoints are published.
- Phone calls: None published.
- Most invasive part: Heart scans and blood tests over several years. So the treatment itself is a tablet.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Prisma Health Cancer Institute, Greenville SC; and MUSC, Charleston SC 29425.
- Drive from Columbia: Greenville is about 100 miles north west, so roughly an hour and forty minutes on I-26.
- The age window is the odd one. You have to be within about ten years of the age your relatives were affected. So bring your family history to the first call.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Not sure which one fits you?
First, answer a few quick health questions. Then we keep them on file. Finally, we tell you which studies near Columbia you may fit. No account, no paperwork.
See if I may fit one of these studies →What Is Actually Happening in Nerve Damage Research
The word covers several different diseases, and which one you have decides everything that follows.
One Word, Several Different Diseases
Neuropathy just means nerve damage, and it says nothing about the cause. So the numb feet of diabetes, an immune attack on the nerve coating and a trapped nerve at the elbow all carry the same label. Meanwhile, they go to completely different studies. Notably, naming your cause is the single most useful thing you can do before calling anyone.
Most Cases Start at the Feet
The longest nerves reach the toes, so they fail first. That is why it usually begins as numbness or burning in both feet and creeps upwards. So doctors call the pattern stocking and glove, because the hands follow later. In fact, that shape is a clue to the cause on its own.
Diabetes Is the Commonest Cause by Far
Roughly half of people with long standing diabetes develop some nerve damage. So blood sugar control is the treatment as well as the prevention. Meanwhile, the studies open near here do not serve that group, and we would rather say so. However, our nerve pain page covers the studies aimed at the pain it causes.
Ask Whether Anyone Has Looked for a Cause
A real share of cases labelled unexplained turn out to have a treatable cause behind them. Vitamin B12, thyroid, kidney function and a full blood count are the usual first tests. So ask for those by name, because they are ordinary and your own doctor can order them. Also, alcohol and some medicines are common causes people are never asked about.
The Nerve Test Is Not as Bad as It Sounds
A nerve conduction study uses surface pads and small electrical pulses to time your nerves. So it is uncomfortable rather than painful, and it takes under an hour. Meanwhile, its numbers are what several studies gate on. Notably, the elbow study on this page has exact thresholds you can ask about.
Some Nerve Damage Is Preventable
Certain chemotherapy drugs damage nerves in a large share of people who receive them. So one study here tries to stop that happening at all, using cooling and pressure during the infusion. However, it has to start before your first dose, which is a very tight window. In fact, that timing is the whole reason to raise it early.
The Immune Kind Comes On Differently
CIDP is an immune attack on the coating around the nerves, and weakness leads rather than numbness. It builds over weeks or months, and it often affects both sides equally. So it is treatable in a way most nerve damage is not. Meanwhile, being told your case is simply diabetes when it is this is a real and costly mistake.
A Trapped Nerve Is Its Own Category
When one nerve is squeezed at one spot, that is a different problem entirely. The ulnar nerve at the elbow is the classic case, numbing the ring and little fingers. So an operation can fix it, which is not true of most nerve damage. Notably, having carpal tunnel as well rules you out of the study here.
Damage and the Pain It Causes Are Studied Apart
Some studies aim at the nerve damage itself, and others aim only at the pain. So it is worth knowing which you are being offered. Meanwhile, the three studies open near Charlotte are all aimed at the damage. Generally, the pain studies sit on a separate page and have separate rules.
Where Things Actually Stand Locally
Three studies are open around Charlotte, and they are three unrelated conditions. The Midlands has none, and that was checked town by town rather than assumed. So the nearest options for a Columbia patient sit at Union, Greenville and Charleston. However, a second study for the immune kind lists a Charlotte site that has not opened yet.
Nerve Damage Help Near You
Ask what is causing yours, because the answer decides which studies exist for you. Also, ask for the four ordinary blood tests, since some causes are treatable and get missed. Finally, if chemotherapy is coming, raise prevention before your first dose rather than after. Meanwhile, join the list and we will call you when something opens near you.
Research Sites Near Columbia
Nothing runs in the Midlands for nerve damage, while the nearest sites sit at Union, Florence and Greenville. But sites add new studies all the time, so it is worth knowing what is near you.
Prisma Health Richland Hospital
Downtown Columbia / 37+ active studies
Cancer, blood disorders, broad hospital research
The flagship Prisma Health hospital in the Midlands. Also, by far the biggest trial operation in the Columbia metro.
Visit Website →
University of South Carolina
Columbia / 27+ active studies
Stroke recovery, physical activity, community health
Notably, a research university that runs federally funded health studies across the Midlands. Specifically, topics range from stroke rehab to disease prevention.
Visit Website →
Bogan Sleep Consultants
Columbia / 7+ active studies
Narcolepsy, sleep disorders
One of the best known private sleep research sites in the Southeast. Also, it has run sleep trials for decades.
Prisma Health Midlands Cardiovascular
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Cardiovascular disease, heart failure
The heart and vessel research arm of Prisma Health in the Midlands. So it is the natural home for cholesterol trials in Columbia.
Visit Website →
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital, Midlands
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Pediatric growth, cystic fibrosis
Basically, the Midlands hub for children’s research inside the Prisma Health system.
Visit Website →
Columbia Dermatology & Aesthetics
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, obesity
A skin care practice with its own research team. It runs both skin and weight studies.
Velocity Clinical Research, Columbia
Columbia / Multiple active studies
COPD, skin conditions, vaccines
Part of one of the biggest research site networks in the country. Besides, it is just the kind of site the huge outcome trials lean on.
Visit Website →
Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center
Garners Ferry Road, Columbia / 2+ active studies
Atherosclerosis, liver disease
Columbia’s VA medical center runs studies, including ones on clogged arteries. For veterans, it is often the first door.
Visit Website →
Objective Health, Columbia
Columbia / 2+ active studies
Celiac disease, fatty liver disease
Once called Columbia Digestive Health Research. Now it is part of the Objective Health network. Specifically, it runs gut and liver studies, including fatty liver trials.
Columbia Gastroenterology Associates
Columbia / Active studies
Digestive conditions
A long-running gut health practice. Also, it takes part in digestive trials around Columbia.
What to Expect in a Nerve Study
New to studies? Here is how one works, step by step.
01
Prescreening
First comes a short phone call or online form. Also, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes. The staff check whether you might fit. Then they tell you what is open.
02
Screening Visit
Next the clinic runs the tests that decide it, which usually means blood work. Also, they go through the consent form line by line, and you can bring somebody with you.
03
Treatment Period
Then the study begins. So you take the study drug or the placebo on the agreed schedule. Meanwhile, your own doctor keeps managing everything else.
04
Follow-Up
Finally, there is a check in period at the end. Also, your own doctor gets the results, and you can stop at any point without affecting your care.
Neuropathy Trial FAQs
Real answers about nerve damage studies near Columbia SC.
Is there a study for this near Columbia?
No, and we will not pretend otherwise. We checked each town in the Midlands on its own, and the subtypes separately. However, one runs at Union about seventy miles away, preventing nerve damage in people about to start certain chemotherapy. Another at Greenville is for people carrying a particular faulty gene who have no symptoms yet. Notably, neither serves nerve damage caused by diabetes.
Does neuropathy mean one thing?
No, and that is the most useful thing to know here. It just means nerve damage, and it says nothing about the cause. So the numb feet of diabetes, an immune attack on the nerve coating and a trapped nerve at the elbow all carry the same label. Meanwhile, they go to completely different studies.
Why does it start in my feet?
Because the longest nerves reach the toes, so they fail first. That is why it usually begins as numbness or burning in both feet and creeps upwards over time. So doctors call the pattern stocking and glove, since the hands follow later. In fact, that shape is a clue to the cause on its own.
Is there anything for nerve damage from diabetes?
Not on this page, and we would rather say that plainly. The studies open near here are for chemotherapy prevention, for an immune form, and for a trapped nerve at the elbow. So none of them serves the commonest cause. However, our nerve pain page covers the studies aimed at the pain that diabetes causes, and there is one near Charlotte.
Which blood tests should I ask for?
Four of them, and your own doctor can order all four. Vitamin B12, thyroid, kidney function and a full blood count. So those cover a real share of the causes that get missed. Also, alcohol and certain medicines are common causes that people are simply never asked about.
What is a nerve conduction study like?
Surface pads and small electrical pulses time how fast your nerves carry signals. So it is uncomfortable rather than painful, and it usually takes under an hour. Meanwhile, its numbers are what several studies gate on. Notably, the elbow study near Charlotte has exact thresholds you can ask about by name.
Can nerve damage from chemotherapy be prevented?
That is exactly what one nearby study is testing, using cooling and pressure wraps during each infusion. Every group wears a real working device, so there is no dummy in it. However, it has to begin within three days of your first chemotherapy dose. So raise it at the treatment planning visit rather than afterwards, because afterwards is too late.
Does it cost anything to check?
No. There is no cost, and no insurance is needed. Tether is a nonprofit list, so we do not run studies and we are not paid to send you anywhere. Also, checking never enrolls anyone in anything. You would always call the clinic yourself.
Where can I get help near Columbia?
Prisma Health and Lexington Medical Center both run neurology services across the Midlands. Also, ask what is causing your nerve damage, because the answer decides which studies exist for you. Generally, your own doctor can order the first blood tests. Meanwhile, ask about a nerve conduction study if nobody has arranged one.
Ready to Explore a Study?
Check your eligibility, or just reach out to our Columbia team. No pressure. Also, no sales pitch.
← Back to All Clinical TrialsSources
- ICE COMPRESS, preventing nerve damage during chemotherapy, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05642611
- A drip study for the autoimmune kind, inside Charlotte, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05327114
- SUN, comparing two operations for a trapped elbow nerve, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04254185
- ACT-EARLY, a prevention study for gene carriers, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06563895
- A second study for the autoimmune kind, listing a Charlotte site not yet open, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07032662
Study details and per-site recruiting status verified against ClinicalTrials.gov on August 17, 2026. The three studies near Charlotte are three unrelated conditions that share one word, and none of them serves nerve damage caused by diabetes, which is the commonest cause by a wide margin. A second study for the immune form lists a Charlotte site, but that row has not opened yet, so it is named as a watch item rather than published as an option. The Columbia zero was checked town by town, and separately for the small fibre, inherited and chemotherapy related forms. Six searches on the word Columbia returned sites in New York, Missouri and Maryland instead. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.