The following is a summary of “Effect of EMS, IFC, and TENS on patient-reported outcome measures for chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” published in the June 2024 issue of Pain by Wolfe, et al.

Given the high burden of chronic low back pain (CLBP), researchers aimed to systematically assess the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) compared to other transcutaneous therapies for pain management.

Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis to evaluate the impact of transcutaneous electrotherapies on patient-reported outcomes for CLBP.

They conducted searches across four databases and two study registries for studies employing transcutaneous electrotherapies (TENS, electromyostimulation (EMS), and Interferential current (IFC) as primary interventions for CLBP compared to active or passive controls. Two reviewers independently extracted study data and evaluated bias risk. Studies were categorized based on intervention vs. comparison and follow-up duration. Meta-analyses were performed as applicable.

The results showed that 89 full texts were reviewed for eligibility, 14 studies were included, and 6 were included in the meta-analyses (all involving TENS or a combination with TENS). Regarding pain outcomes, the meta-analyses indicated no significant differences between TENS vs. active control, TENS vs. passive control, or mixed TENS vs. active control immediately after treatment, nor for mixed TENS vs. active control one month post-treatment. The IFC demonstrated greater effectiveness than active control in 2 studies, while EMS generally outperformed passive controls across 6 studies.

Investigators concluded that TENS offered no significant advantage over other treatments for CLBP and disability, while IFC showed promise and EMS benefits were mixed depending on the control type.

Source: frontiersin.org/journals/pain-research/articles/10.3389/fpain.2024.1346694/full