"The Beliefs and Attitudes of Cypriot Physical Therapists Regarding the Use of TENS in Pain Management"

Abstract

Background: Pain is the main cause of a patient's visit to the physiotherapist. TENS is a non-invasive analgesic technique that is worldwide used. The physiotherapist's role is very important in the treatment of the patient and many studies support the effectiveness of TENS to improve the pain levels. However, there is still a difference in its use by therapists and researchers. Objectives:The aim is to collect information about the beliefs and attitudes of Cypriot physiotherapists about the analgesic effect of TENS. Methods:The questionnaire was obtained from a previous study in India and sent via an online platform to Cypriot physiotherapists. The statistical analysis was done by SPSS.Results: 113 responses were received, where most physiotherapists reported TENS as a successful way of treatment. TENS seemed to be used more often in acute and intense pain, as well as in musculoskeletal pain, compared to pain due cancer. Almost all physiotherapists reported that their patients benefit to some extent from the TENS and most would suggest it as a home remedy. TENS is a popular prescription, while most Cypriots request or have already used it. 58.4% of Cypriot physiotherapists believe it is cost-effective while 28.3% said that they did not know. Most of them provide devices similar to TENS. There was a significant correlation of the TENS use in acute pain with its use in musculoskeletal/orthopaedic conditions (p=0.000), and a significant correlation of the TENS efficacy with the TENS use frequency for pain treatment (p=0.000). Conclusion:TENS is mostly used to reduce pain and is considered effective. Their views are largely similar to physiotherapists from other countries. More high-quality research is needed to explore and compare their views with research results.