Click on the condition that causes pain below to read some of the latest research about electrotherapy and bioelectronics as an alternative pain management modality.
Researchers at the University of Florida investigated the efficacy of TENS therapy as a treatment for chronic low back pain. Across all age groups (18 – 79 years old), participants in the study experienced a 48 percent improvement in resting pain and a 14 percent improvement in physical function.
University of Florida researchers found that electrical stimulation is effective at relieving lower back pain regardless of the user’s age.
Read the study here: http://explore.research.ufl.edu
In a meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials published between 1976 and 2006, researchers used statistical methods to enhance data extraction to determine the efficacy of electrical nerve stimulation for chronic musculoskeletal pain.
The overall results, which were published in PAIN (the official publication of the International Association for the Study of Pain), showed a significant decrease in pain, indicating electrical nerve stimulation as an effective treatment modality for pain resulting from bone, joint, muscle, tendon, ligament, and nerve injury.
Read the study here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17383095
In 2013, faculty and researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil assessed the efficacy of high-frequency electrical nerve stimulation as an adjuvant therapy for patients with fibromyalgia.
According to results published in the European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, patients who received TENS treatment had relevant improvement of pain, work performance, fatigue, stiffness, anxiety, and depression compared to study groups who did not receive TENS.
Read the study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23486303
Researchers at Newcastle University conducted an in-depth study of long-term TENS users. Their analysis revealed that 47% of patients found TENS reduced their pain by more than half.
Read the study here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/030439599190089G
A 2013 study investigated the effects of long-term TENS treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Results from the study were published in Neuroscience and suggest that daily electrical stimulation using a TENS device may help decrease impairment of fine motor skills and reduce muscle tremor and spasticity in MS patients.
Read the study here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=23831423
A 2004 double-blind study examined the efficacy of TENS therapy to relieve severe pain in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.
The results were published in the Journal of Rehabilitative Medicine and showed that users experienced a statistically significant reduction in osteoarthritic knee pain and an increase in the maximum passive knee range of motion.
Read the study here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15626162
In a 2014 study, researchers evaluated the effects of TENS therapy on pain intensity and functional capacity in patients suffering from peripheral or central neuropathic pain resulting from damage or disease affecting the nervous system.
According to results published in The Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, pain symptoms were significantly decreased by TENS therapy.
Read the study here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24549206
A 2007 study investigated the effect of electrically induced sensory stimulation and task-related training (TRT) on the voluntary motor output in chronic stroke survivors. When compared with the group that received placebo stimulation and TRT, the group that underwent TENS therapy in addition to TRT experienced a greater reduction of plantar flexor spasticity, improved lower limb strength, and increased gait velocity.
The study was published in Stroke, a peer-reviewed medical journal published on behalf of the American Heart Association.
Read the study here: http://stroke.ahajournals.org