Effectiveness of long term use of tens

EFFECTIVENESS OF LONG TERM USE OF TENS. David W. Gronow and Robyn J. Quinn, Sydney Pain Management Centre, Sydney N.S.W. 2000 Australia The use of TENS in chronic pain has been well established as being an effective modality, Most papers report an initial beneficial response this however of between 55% and 75X, response decreases to often as low as 30% after one to three months. 381 patients with various pain states were trialled with TENS in an intensive training course and follow up. The improvement relief, pain was assessed on self-monitored decrease in At the medication activity. and increase in completion of one month’s trial the patient elected whether to continue long term use. 72% in the study did so and of these only 22 failed to continue use over a follow up period of six to eighteen months. Thus 66% continued to have beneficial effect. This paper will outline the training programme and the factors that influenced the patients use of TENS. TRANscuTANEous ELECTRICAL NERVE STIMULATION (TENS) FOR RELIEVING LOW BACK PAIN IN SAUDIARABIA, EASTERN PROVINCE. J. Magbagbeola, Y.N. Khawaji, M. Al-Nahdi, H. Farrag, Pain LManagement Unit, King Fais3 University, PO Box 2114, n_-_- ?,"C, Aim of Investigation: Low back pain is a very common problem causinq the loss of valuable man-hours. Research done on the use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in treating this condition have produced conflicting reports. The present work is an attempt to assess the value of TENS in alleviating low back pain in patients attending the pain management unit. Methods: Sixty five patients with low back pain not due to an organic cause were subjected to between 10 and 15 sessions of transcutaneouselectrical nerve stimulation (TENS) of ,30minutes at 5-30 Hz for each session. Six to eight electrodes were placed at the trigger points over the low back pain area and joined to TENS machine. Patients have been advised not to take medication in order to evaluate the TENS treatment. Results: Out of 65 patients, 25 (38%) did not complete 5 seswd were consequently excluded from this study. Six cases (15%) were cured, 30 cases (75%) improved and the rest (10%) failed to respond. No side effects were experienced by any of our patients. Conclusions: This study indicated that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is a safe and an effective method treating low back pain. It is expected that this type of treatment if used in conjunction with analgesics, the use of the latter by patients may be drastically reduced and therefore avoiding their unnecessary side effects.