Spine
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Meta Analysis
Efficacy of the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for the treatment of chronic low back pain: a meta-analysis.
Low back pain affects a large proportion of the population. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) was introduced more than 30 years ago as an alternative therapy to pharmacologic treatments for chronic pain. However, despite its widespread use, the efficacy of TENS is still controversial. ⋯ The results of the meta-analysis present no evidence to support the use or nonuse of TENS alone in the treatment of chronic low back pain. Considering the small number of studies responding to the criteria to be included in this meta-analysis, it is clear that more appropriately designed studies are needed before a final conclusion. Clinicians and researchers should consistently report the characteristics of the TENS device and the application techniques used. New trials on TENS should make use of standardized outcome measures. This meta-analysis lacked data on how TENS efficacy is affected by four important factors: type of applications, site of application, treatment duration of TENS, and optimal frequencies and intensities.