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Value of TENS for relief of chronic low back pain with or without radicular pain
Author(s) -
Buchmuller A.,
Navez M.,
MilletreBernardin M.,
Pouplin S.,
Presles E.,
LantériMinet M.,
Tardy B.,
Laurent B.,
Camdessanché J.P.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
european journal of pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.305
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1532-2149
pISSN - 1090-3801
DOI - 10.1002/j.1532-2149.2011.00061.x
Subject(s) - medicine , visual analogue scale , radicular pain , physical therapy , quality of life (healthcare) , lumbar , transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation , low back pain , analgesic , chronic pain , randomized controlled trial , back pain , anesthesia , surgery , alternative medicine , nursing , pathology
Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation ( TENS ) in patients with chronic low back pain ( LBP ). Methods Design: Prospective, randomized, multicentre, single‐blind study. Setting: Twenty‐one French pain centres. Participants: Two hundred thirty‐six consecutive adult patients consulting for chronic LBP , with or without radicular pain (mean age ± standard deviation: 53 ± 13 years; range: 28–86 years). Intervention: Patients were randomly assigned to receive either active ( n = 117) or sham ( n = 119) TENS in four 1‐h daily treatment sessions for 3 months. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome measured was improvement of functional status at 6 weeks ( R oland– M orris D isability Q uestionnaire). Secondary outcome measures were improvement of functional status at 3 months, pain relief (weekly visual analogue scale assessments), positive functional repercussions of pain levels on quality of life, a diminution of the use of analgesic and anti‐inflammatory medication, satisfaction with the overall treatment strategy and compliance. Results Functional status did not differ between the groups, whether at 6 weeks or 3 months ( p = 0.351 at 6 weeks). A significant improvement between the first and last visual analogue scale assessments was observed in patients with either lumbar pain alone or lumbar and radicular pain treated with active TENS . Other outcome measures did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusion There was no functional benefit of TENS in the treatment of patients with chronic LBP .