1. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and heat to reduce pain in a chronic low back pain population
- Author
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David Beckwée, Jo Nijs, Ömer Elma, Timothy H. Wideman, Carolie Siffain, Sven Van Laere, Lynn Leemans, Hester den Bandt, Pain in Motion, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Rehabilitation Research, Movement and Nutrition for Health and Performance, Motor Mind, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spine Research Group, Biostatistics and medical informatics, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Public Health Sciences, and Frailty in Ageing
- Subjects
Pain Threshold ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Hot Temperature ,Population ,Musculoskeletal pain ,TENS ,Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation ,Chronic pain ,Summation ,Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation ,law.invention ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Quality of life ,030202 anesthesiology ,law ,medicine ,Humans ,Pain Management ,Orthopedics and Sports Medicine ,Disabled Persons ,Low back pain ,Movement-evoked pain ,education ,Original Research ,education.field_of_study ,Central Nervous System Sensitization ,business.industry ,Rehabilitation ,medicine.disease ,Chronic low back pain ,Clinical trial ,Physical therapy ,Quality of Life ,Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ,Human medicine ,medicine.symptom ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Highlights • The combination of heat and TENS significantly improves pain pressure thresholds. • The combination of heat and TENS does not affect maximum and average pain, nor movement-evoked pain (MEP). • There is a need for standardized and sensitive assessment tools for measuring MEP., Background Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. The therapeutic management of patients with chronic LBP is challenging. Objectives The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of heat and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation combined on pain relief in participants with chronic low back pain. Methods Fifty participants with chronic (≥3 months) low back pain were randomly assigned to two groups: HeatTens (n = 25) and control group (n = 25). Primary outcome was pain. Secondary outcomes were pressure pain thresholds, temporal summation, conditioned pain modulation, fear-avoidance and beliefs questionnaire, central sensitization inventory, quality of life, and medication use. The control group received no treatment and continued usual care. After four weeks of treatment, all measurements were repeated. Results Fifty individuals participated in this study. Significant higher pressure pain threshold measures after both 30 min and 4 weeks for the lower back region and the second plantar toe were found only in the experimental group. Conclusion The combination of heat and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation does not reduce pain scores in patients with chronic low back pain. Pressure pain threshold values significantly improved, showing beneficial effects of the experimental treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03643731 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03643731).
- Published
- 2021