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Conventional, Acupuncture-Like or Brief-Intense: Is There Any Difference Between TENS Modalities According to Outcomes of Chronic Low Back Pain with Lumbar Disc Herniation

Received: 21 July 2015     Accepted: 28 July 2015     Published: 5 August 2015
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Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the differences between Conventional, Acupuncture-like and Brief-intense TENS in chronic low back pain with lumbar disc herniation. Methods: 160 patients who were diagnosed as lumbar disc herniation were randomized into 4 groups: Group1= Conventional TENS, Group2= Acupuncture-like TENS, Group3= Brief-intense TENS, Group4= Sham TENS. Hotpack, ultrasound and exercise were applied all groups (5 days/week for 3 weeks). Patients were evaluated before treatment, a week after baseline, at the end of treatment and a month after the end of treatment. Ostwestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (OLBP) and Short-Form 36 physical component (SF-36PCS), mental component (SF-36MCS) scores, Modified Lumbar Schober test (MLS), Straight Leg Raising test (SLR) and Femoral Stretching test (FS) results and Visual Analog Scale for pain (VAS) at activity and at rest were recorded. After the exclusion, statistical analysis was administered to 135 participants (44 males and 91 females). Results: There were no differences according to demographic data (p>0,05). For each evaluation step, we compared the means of MLS, SLR, VASactivity, VASrest, OLBP, SF-36PCS and SF-36MCS and found no significant difference (p>0,05). At the end of first week, all groups showed significant improvement according to SLR (p=0,046, p=0,035, p=0,035, p=0,045, respectively) and VASrest (p=0,038, p=0,048, p=0,045, p=0,048, respectively); only group 1 (p=0,034) and group 3 (p=0,045) showed significant improvement for VASactivity. At the end of treatment, all groups showed significant improvement for MLS, SLR, VASactivity, VASrest, OLBP and SF-36PCS (p<0,05). Conclusions: Pain relief is seem to be starting earlier in treatment regimens including conventional and brief-intense TENS. Probably, final outcomes of the treatment regimens for pain and functional capacity, with or without TENS don’t differ.

Published in Clinical Medicine Research (Volume 4, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.cmr.20150405.14
Page(s) 143-150
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

TENS, Lumbar Back Pain, Lumbar Disc Herniation

References
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  • APA Style

    Ilker Ilhanli. (2015). Conventional, Acupuncture-Like or Brief-Intense: Is There Any Difference Between TENS Modalities According to Outcomes of Chronic Low Back Pain with Lumbar Disc Herniation. Clinical Medicine Research, 4(5), 143-150. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cmr.20150405.14

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    ACS Style

    Ilker Ilhanli. Conventional, Acupuncture-Like or Brief-Intense: Is There Any Difference Between TENS Modalities According to Outcomes of Chronic Low Back Pain with Lumbar Disc Herniation. Clin. Med. Res. 2015, 4(5), 143-150. doi: 10.11648/j.cmr.20150405.14

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    AMA Style

    Ilker Ilhanli. Conventional, Acupuncture-Like or Brief-Intense: Is There Any Difference Between TENS Modalities According to Outcomes of Chronic Low Back Pain with Lumbar Disc Herniation. Clin Med Res. 2015;4(5):143-150. doi: 10.11648/j.cmr.20150405.14

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  • @article{10.11648/j.cmr.20150405.14,
      author = {Ilker Ilhanli},
      title = {Conventional, Acupuncture-Like or Brief-Intense: Is There Any Difference Between TENS Modalities According to Outcomes of Chronic Low Back Pain with Lumbar Disc Herniation},
      journal = {Clinical Medicine Research},
      volume = {4},
      number = {5},
      pages = {143-150},
      doi = {10.11648/j.cmr.20150405.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cmr.20150405.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cmr.20150405.14},
      abstract = {Objectives: To evaluate the differences between Conventional, Acupuncture-like and Brief-intense TENS in chronic low back pain with lumbar disc herniation. Methods: 160 patients who were diagnosed as lumbar disc herniation were randomized into 4 groups: Group1= Conventional TENS, Group2= Acupuncture-like TENS, Group3= Brief-intense TENS, Group4= Sham TENS. Hotpack, ultrasound and exercise were applied all groups (5 days/week for 3 weeks). Patients were evaluated before treatment, a week after baseline, at the end of treatment and a month after the end of treatment. Ostwestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (OLBP) and Short-Form 36 physical component (SF-36PCS), mental component (SF-36MCS) scores, Modified Lumbar Schober test (MLS), Straight Leg Raising test (SLR) and Femoral Stretching test (FS) results and Visual Analog Scale for pain (VAS) at activity and at rest were recorded. After the exclusion, statistical analysis was administered to 135 participants (44 males and 91 females). Results: There were no differences according to demographic data (p>0,05). For each evaluation step, we compared the means of MLS, SLR, VASactivity, VASrest, OLBP, SF-36PCS and SF-36MCS and found no significant difference (p>0,05). At the end of first week, all groups showed significant improvement according to SLR (p=0,046, p=0,035, p=0,035, p=0,045, respectively) and VASrest (p=0,038, p=0,048, p=0,045, p=0,048, respectively); only group 1 (p=0,034) and group 3 (p=0,045) showed significant improvement for VASactivity. At the end of treatment, all groups showed significant improvement for MLS, SLR, VASactivity, VASrest, OLBP and SF-36PCS (p<0,05). Conclusions: Pain relief is seem to be starting earlier in treatment regimens including conventional and brief-intense TENS. Probably, final outcomes of the treatment regimens for pain and functional capacity, with or without TENS don’t differ.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Conventional, Acupuncture-Like or Brief-Intense: Is There Any Difference Between TENS Modalities According to Outcomes of Chronic Low Back Pain with Lumbar Disc Herniation
    AU  - Ilker Ilhanli
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    PY  - 2015
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cmr.20150405.14
    DO  - 10.11648/j.cmr.20150405.14
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    JF  - Clinical Medicine Research
    JO  - Clinical Medicine Research
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2326-9057
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cmr.20150405.14
    AB  - Objectives: To evaluate the differences between Conventional, Acupuncture-like and Brief-intense TENS in chronic low back pain with lumbar disc herniation. Methods: 160 patients who were diagnosed as lumbar disc herniation were randomized into 4 groups: Group1= Conventional TENS, Group2= Acupuncture-like TENS, Group3= Brief-intense TENS, Group4= Sham TENS. Hotpack, ultrasound and exercise were applied all groups (5 days/week for 3 weeks). Patients were evaluated before treatment, a week after baseline, at the end of treatment and a month after the end of treatment. Ostwestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (OLBP) and Short-Form 36 physical component (SF-36PCS), mental component (SF-36MCS) scores, Modified Lumbar Schober test (MLS), Straight Leg Raising test (SLR) and Femoral Stretching test (FS) results and Visual Analog Scale for pain (VAS) at activity and at rest were recorded. After the exclusion, statistical analysis was administered to 135 participants (44 males and 91 females). Results: There were no differences according to demographic data (p>0,05). For each evaluation step, we compared the means of MLS, SLR, VASactivity, VASrest, OLBP, SF-36PCS and SF-36MCS and found no significant difference (p>0,05). At the end of first week, all groups showed significant improvement according to SLR (p=0,046, p=0,035, p=0,035, p=0,045, respectively) and VASrest (p=0,038, p=0,048, p=0,045, p=0,048, respectively); only group 1 (p=0,034) and group 3 (p=0,045) showed significant improvement for VASactivity. At the end of treatment, all groups showed significant improvement for MLS, SLR, VASactivity, VASrest, OLBP and SF-36PCS (p<0,05). Conclusions: Pain relief is seem to be starting earlier in treatment regimens including conventional and brief-intense TENS. Probably, final outcomes of the treatment regimens for pain and functional capacity, with or without TENS don’t differ.
    VL  - 4
    IS  - 5
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Giresun University, Giresun, Turkey

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