Efficacy of Selected Electrical Therapies on Chronic Low Back Pain: A Comparative Clinical Pilot Study

Abstract

BackgroundIn the currently available research publications on electrical therapy of low back pain, generally no control groups or detailed randomization were used, and such studies were often conducted with relatively small groups of patients, based solely on subjective questionnaires and pain assessment scales (lacking measurement methods to objectify the therapeutic progress). The available literature also lacks a comprehensive and large-scale clinical study. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of treating low back pain using selected electrotherapy methods. The study assesses the influence of individual electrotherapeutic treatments on reduction of pain, improvement of the range of movement in lower section of the spine, and improvement of motor functions and mobility.Material/MethodsThe 127 patients qualified for the therapy (ultimately, 123 patients completed the study) and assigned to 6 comparison groups: A – conventional TENS, B – acupuncture-like TENS, C – high-voltage electrical stimulation, D – interferential current stimulation, E – diadynamic current, and F – control group.ResultsThe research showed that using electrical stimulation with interferential current penetrating deeper into the tissues results in a significant and more efficient elimination of pain, and an improvement of functional ability of patients suffering from low back pain on the basis of an analysis of both subjective and objective parameters. The TENS currents and high voltage were helpful, but not as effective. The use of diadynamic currents appears to be useless.ConclusionsSelected electrical therapies (interferential current, TENS, and high voltage) appear to be effective in treating chronic low back pain.

Electric Stimulation Hyperthermia Relieves Inflammation via the Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3-Toll Like Receptor 4 Pathway in a Prostatitis Rat Model

“…Ferreira et al [19] found that the temporomandibular disorder treatment process, ES mitigated pain and improved masticatory muscle activity efficiently, without drugs or the need for invasive procedures. Rajfur et al [10] found that electrical therapy was effective in treating chronic low back pain. However, the above studies all focused on either ES alone or only on hyperthermia generated by ES, instead of studying the combination of ES and hyperthermia.…”

“…Therefore, we hypothesized that mitigating neuroinflammation would relieve pain in CP/CPPS. Electric stimulation hyperthermia treatment (ESHT) has been used as a clinical intervention for many diseases, including tumors [9], pain [10], and diabetic angiopathy [11]. It is generally thought that ESHT influences cellular processes and functions [12], but there is still no consensus on the mechanism of ESHT.…”

Comparison of the Efficacy of Different Electrode Types of Interferential Current Therapy in the Treatment of Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Single-Blinded Study

“…The main goal of using electrophysical agents in treating LBP syndromes is to decrease pain and inflammation, and reduce muscle tension in the affected regions, which also shorten the duration of treatment and reduce costs as additional benefits. 5 Despite the widespread use and popularity of interferential current therapy (IFT) for pain management among physicians, there is a lack of scientific evidence to support aspects of their claimed effectiveness. [1][2][3][4] Rajfur et al investigated five different treatment approaches; conventional transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), acupuncturelike TENS, high-voltage electrical stimulation, interferential current (IFC) stimulation, diadynamic current, in 123 patients with chronic LBP compared with a control group.…”

“…The results showed that electrical stimulation therapy with IFC was the most effective treatment for reducing pain. 5 In another study, Hurley et al compared the efficacy of IFT electrode placement with a control treatment in patients with acute LBP. 4 Their results demonstrated that IFT electrode placement affected LBP-specific functional disability and pain.…”

Ação da polaridade na estimulação elétrica transcutânea para o tratamento de áreas doadoras de enxertos autógenos em pacientes queimados: estudo clínico randomizado cego

“…A corrente de alta voltagem (EAV) é polarizada com resultados promissores na redução de edemas (Dolan et al, 2005;Synder et al, 2010), cicatrização de feridas (Guo et al, 2013;Polak et al, 2014;Polak et al, 2016;Zhou et al, 2016), e na dor (Stralka et al, 1998;Gomes et al, 2012;Rajfur et al, 2017). Já estimulação elétrica nervosa transcutânea (ENT), pode ser ou não polarizada e se destaca pelo efeito analgésico, no caso da baixa frequência estimula as fibras nervosas que favorecem a liberação de opióides endógenos que inibem estímulos nocioceptores na medula espinal (Goldestein, 1976;Sabino et al, 2008;Santos et al, 2013).…”