The advantages of exercise in the
measures of frequency of pain and activity level remained ...
stimulation was offered for only half the treatment period. The authors report the results of a randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. when added to a standard exercise program for industrial workers with acute low back pain (LBP). Fifty-eight work-injured patients with LBP of 3-10 weeks duration were randomized Into two groups that received actual or placebo stimulation in combination with the exercise regimen. The groups were compared on the primary outcome measures of disability, pain, and return to work. No significant differences between the experimental and placebo groups were discovered on any of the measured outcomes. Exercise alone, when continued over 4 weeks, reduced disability and pain scores significantly. Under the experimental conditions of this trial.
stimulation was offered for only half the treatment period. The authors report the results of a randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. when added to a standard exercise program for industrial workers with acute low back pain (LBP). Fifty-eight work-injured patients with LBP of 3-10 weeks duration were randomized Into two groups that received actual or placebo stimulation in combination with the exercise regimen. The groups were compared on the primary outcome measures of disability, pain, and return to work. No significant differences between the experimental and placebo groups were discovered on any of the measured outcomes. Exercise alone, when continued over 4 weeks, reduced disability and pain scores significantly. Under the experimental conditions of this trial.
Indications
Transcutaneous
electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) was evaluated as a postoperative analgesic. Patients undergoing lumbar
spine operations, hip surgery, and gynecological laparotomies were studied.
Sterile electrodes, placed near the incision immediately after operation, were
connected to a continuously operating stimulator for 48 hours after operation.
Results from 46 experimental patients demonstrated that TENS could reduce the
demand for postoperative narcotics in a group of patients who had not used
narcotic analgesics before
operation.
Models Available:
Contraindication
TENS is a remarkably safe treatment modality. Without the
risk of thermal injury associated with heat and cold and without the side
effects associated with pharmacologic, nerve block, and surgical interventions,
the perception among many clinicians and third-party payers that TENS is
overused is not surprising. A small group of patient’s remains in whom TENS may
produce risk.These patients include: (1) patients with pacemakers; (2) patients
with significant sensory impairment, (3) patients with spinal cord stimulators;
and (4) patients who are pregnant, because of risk of inducement of labor.
