The Long-Term Outcome of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in the Treatment for Patients with Chronic Pain: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Pain Practice

Volumn 12, Issue 7, 2012, Pages 513-522

  Oosterhof, Jan ^a   Wilder Smith, Oliver H ^a   de Boo, Theo ^a   Oostendorp, Rob A B ^a   Crul, Ben J P ^a  

^a RADBOUD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER   (Netherlands)

Author keywords

Chronic pain; Placebo; Randomized controlled trial; Sham controlled trial; Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation

Indexed keywords

ADULT; ARTICLE; CHRONIC PAIN; CONTROLLED STUDY; DISABILITY; FEMALE; HEALTH STATUS; HUMAN; MAJOR CLINICAL STUDY; MALE; PAIN ASSESSMENT; PAIN CLINIC; PATIENT SATISFACTION; RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL; SURVIVAL; TRANSCUTANEOUS NERVE STIMULATION; TREATMENT OUTCOME; TREATMENT REFUSAL; UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL;

EID: 84865999014     PISSN: 15307085     EISSN: 15332500     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1533-2500.2012.00533.x     Document Type: Article

References (40)

1. Fishbain DA, Chabal C, Abbott A, Heine LW, Cutler R. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) treatment outcome in long-term users. Clin J Pain. 1996;12:201-214.
2. Carroll D, Moore RA, McQuay HJ, Fairman F, Tramer M, Leijon G. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for chronic pain (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library Issue 3. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.; 2004.
3. Lampl C, Kreczi T, Klingler D. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in the treatment of chronic pain: predictive factors and evaluation of the method. Clin J Pain. 1998;14:134-142.
4. Eriksson MB, Sjolund BH, Nielzen S. Long term results of peripheral conditioning stimulation as an analgesic measure in chronic pain. Pain. 1979;6:335-347.
5. Long DM. Fifteen years of transcutaneous electrical stimulation for pain control. Stereotact Funct Neurosurg. 1991;56:2-19.
6. Johnson MI, Ashton CH, Thompson JW. An in-depth study of long-term users of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Implications for clinical use of TENS. Pain. 1991;44:221-229.
7. Sjolund BH. Peripheral nerve stimulation suppression of C-fiber-evoked flexion reflex in rats. Part 1: parameters of continuous stimulation. J Neurosurg. 1985;63:612-616.
8. Li CL, Bak A. Excitability characteristics of the A- and C-fibers in a peripheral nerve. Exp Neurol. 1976;50:67-79.
9. Melzack R, Wall PD. Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science. 1965;150:971-979.
10. Long DM, Hagfors N. Electrical stimulation in the nervous system: the current status of electrical stimulation of the nervous system for relief of pain. Pain. 1975;1:109-123.
11. Oosterhof J, Anderegg Q, Kersten H, Crul BJ. TENS-protocol Pijncentrum UMC St Radboud. Bussum: Uitgeverij Coutinho; 2003: 31-43.
12. Pascoe GC. Patient satisfaction in primary health care: a literature review and analysis. Eval Program Plann. 1983;6:185-210.
13. Farrar JT. What is clinically meaningful: outcome measures in pain clinical trials. Clin J Pain. 2000;16:S106-S112.
14. Koke AJ, Schouten JS, Lamerichs-Geelen MJ, et al. Pain reducing effect of three types of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in patients with chronic pain: a randomized crossover trial. Pain. 2004;108:36-42.
15. Jensen MP, McFarland CA. Increasing the reliability and validity of pain intensity measurement in chronic pain patients [see comments]. Pain. 1993;55:195-203.
16. Gilson BS, Gilson JS, Bergner M, et al. The sickness impact profile. Development of an outcome measure of health care. Am J Public Health. 1975;65:1304-1310.
17. Bergner M, Bobbitt RA, Carter WB, Gilson BS. The sickness impact profile: development and final revision of a health status measure. Med Care. 1981;19:787-805.
18. Jacobs HM, Luttik A, Touw-Otten FW, de Melker RA. [The sickness impact profile; results of an evaluation study of the Dutch version]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 1990;134:1950-1954.
19. Pollard CA. Preliminary validity study of the pain disability index. Percept Mot Skills. 1984;59:974.
20. Jerome A, Gross RT. Pain disability index: construct and discriminant validity. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1991;72:920-922.
21. Tait RC, Chibnall JT, Krause S. The pain disability index: psychometric properties. Pain. 1990;40:171-182.
22. Gronblad M, Hupli M, Wennerstrand P, et al. Intercorrelation and test-retest reliability of the Pain Disability Index (PDI) and the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (ODQ) and their correlation with pain intensity in low back pain patients. Clin J Pain. 1993;9:189-195.
23. Deyo RA, Walsh NE, Schoenfeld LS, Ramamurthy S. Can trials of physical treatments be blinded? The example of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for chronic pain Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 1990;69:6-10.
24. Bergman U, Elmes P, Halse M, et al. The measurement of drug consumption. Drugs for diabetes in Northern Ireland, Norway and Sweden. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1975;8:83-89.
25. Oosterhof J, De Boo TM, Oostendorp RAB, Wilder-Smith OHG, Crul BJP. Outcome of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in chronic pain: short-term results of a double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial. J Headache Pain. 2006;7:196-205.
26. Ernst E, Resch KL. Concept of true and perceived placebo effects. BMJ (Clin Res). 1995;311:551-553.
27. Elliott AM, Smith BH, Hannaford PC, Smith WC, Chambers WA. The course of chronic pain in the community: results of a 4-year follow-up study. Pain. 2002;99:299-307.
28. Eriksen J, Ekholm O, Sjogren P, Rasmussen NK. Development of and recovery from long-term pain. A 6-year follow-up study of a cross-section of the adult Danish population. Pain. 2004;108:154-162.
29. Yamamoto T, Yamamoto Y, Yoshida A. Formative mechanisms of current concentration and breakdown phenomena dependent on direct current flow through the skin by a dry electrode. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 1986;33:396-404.
30. Turk DC, Rudy TE. Neglected factors in chronic pain treatment outcome studies - referral patterns, failure to enter treatment, and attrition. Pain. 1990;43:7-25.
31. Dworkin RH, Turk DC, Wyrwich KW, et al. Interpreting the clinical importance of treatment outcomes in chronic pain clinical trials: IMMPACT recommendations. J Pain. 2008;9:105-121.
32. Lazarou L, Kitsios A, Lazarou I, Sikaras E, Trampas A. Effects of intensity of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on pressure pain threshold and blood pressure in healthy humans: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Clin J Pain. 2009;25:773-780.
33. Moran F, Leonard T, Hawthorne S, et al. Hypoalgesia in response to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) depends on stimulation intensity. J Pain. 2011;12:929-935.
34. Pantaleao MA, Laurino MF, Gallego NL, et al. Adjusting pulse amplitude during transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) application produces greater hypoalgesia. J Pain. 2011;12:581-590.
35. Nash TP, Williams JD, Machin D. TENS: does the type of stimulus really matter. Pain Clin. 1990;3:161-168.
36. McQuay HJ, Moore RA. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in chronic pain. In: McQuay HJ, Moore RA, eds. An Evidence-Based Resource for Pain Relief. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1998: 207-211.
37. Lee KH, Chung JM, Willis WD Jr. Inhibition of primate spinothalamic tract cells by TENS. J Neurosurg. 1985;62:276-287.
38. Rakel B, Cooper N, Adams HJ, et al. A new transient sham TENS device allows for investigator blinding while delivering a true placebo treatment. J Pain. 2011;11:230-238.
39. Finniss DG, Kaptchuk TJ, Miller F, Benedetti F. Biological, clinical, and ethical advances of placebo effects. Lancet. 2010;375:686-695.
40. Quessy SN, Rowbotham MC. Placebo response in neuropathic pain trials. Pain. 2008;138:479-483.