Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Pain and Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is the usage of a mild electrical current through electrodes that stimulate nerves. Patients with malignancies experience pain and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. A systematic review was performed to find research evaluating the effect of TENS on these two common symptoms decreasing the quality of life in cancer patients. PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and EMBASE were searched. Original studies, namely randomized controlled trials, quasi-randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials, published between April 2007 and May 2020, were considered. The quality of the selected studies was assessed. Seven papers were incorporated in a qualitative synthesis, with 260 patients in total. The studies varied in terms of design, populations, endpoints, quality, treatment duration, procedures and follow-up period. Based on the results, no strict recommendations concerning TENS usage in the cancer patient population could be issued. However, the existing evidence allows us to state that TENS is a safe procedure that may be self-administered by the patients with malignancy in an attempt to relieve different types of pain. There is a need for multi-center, randomized clinical trials with a good methodological design and adequate sample size.

Assessment of Integrative Therapeutic Methods for Improving the Quality of Life and Functioning in Cancer Patients—A Systematic Review

“…Püsküllüoğlu et al [ 106 ] reviewed the literature to assess the effectiveness of TENS on CIPN in cancer patients. Their study included seven trials, all indicating, with a statistically significant difference, that TENS may show effectiveness (at a certain degree) in pain treatment in the CIPN patient subpopulation.…”

“…In addition to the beneficial effects gained from improving symptoms of polyneuropathy secondary to cancer treatments [ 106 , 107 ], TENS is an effective treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy in patients diagnosed with early cervical cancer. The patients were characterized according to their menopausal status and the modality of the surgical intervention; they were randomized into two groups and were followed up to 24 months after the surgical intervention.…”

Silver Spike Point Therapy in smoking cessation

“…TENS and similar techniques have been investigated in the treatment of various conditions, including acute and chronic pain in adults,cancer-related peripheral neuropathy, knee osteoarthritis, dry mouth following radiotherapy, lower urinary tract dysfunction in children, enuresis in children, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,labor pain relief, and rehabilitation after stroke. [41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49] F. Acupuncture and related therapies in scientific research. Acupuncture therapy has been the focus of interest for several decades in a variety of diseases, especially diseases with no effective treatment in Western medicine.…”

TENS Improves Cisplatin-Induced Neuropathy in Lung Cancer Patients

“…A recent systematic review concluded there is not enough evidence to recommend TENS therapy as a standard procedure for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and that well-designed trials with adequate follow-ups are needed to define the specific protocols for its effective use. However, authors have stated that TENS therapy is safe and an easy-to-use procedure that may be used in an attempt to relieve the pain symptoms in cancer patient population [ 20 ]. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effect of TENS therapy on the pain intensity and the quality of life in a cohort of newly diagnosed lung cancer patients, with cisplatin-induced neuropathy.…”