Martins-de-Sousa Paulo Henrique, Fidelis-de-Paula-Gomes Cid André, Pontes-Silva André, Henrique Milena Fernanda Pereira, Araujo Gabriel Gardhel Costa, Kalatakis-Dos-Santos Artur Eduardo, Damasceno Karen Larissa Brito, Dibai-Filho Almir Vieira
Postgraduate Program in Adult Health, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil.
Postgraduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Nove de Julho, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Physiother Res Int. 2023 Jan;28(1):e1978. doi: 10.1002/pri.1978. Epub 2022 Oct 17.
To evaluate the additional effect of high frequency (HF) or low frequency (LF) transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in a specific therapeutic exercise program for the treatment of patients with chronic neck pain.
A randomized controlled trial. Sixty participants of both sexes and with chronic neck pain were randomized into three groups: therapeutic exercise group + placebo TENS (n = 20), therapeutic exercise group + HF TENS (n = 20) and therapeutic exercise group + low TENS frequency (n = 20). The following assessment instruments were used: Numerical Pain Rating Scale, Neck Disability Index, Pain-Related Catastrophizing Thoughts Scale and Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia. Participants were evaluated before the interventions, after eight treatment sessions and 1 month after the end of treatment. Primary outcome was disability measured after the eight treatment sessions. Secondary outcomes were pain intensity, catastrophizing, and kinesiophobia after eight treatment sessions and pain intensity 4 weeks after the end of the treatment sessions.
The three groups were similar at baseline for personal and clinical characteristics. Regarding the main study analyses, there were no significant (p > 0.05) or clinical (d < 0.80) differences between the groups for the main variable (disability), nor for the secondary variables (pain intensity, catastrophizing and kinesiophobia).
HF or LF TENS, compared to placebo TENS, does not provide additional clinical benefits to an exercise program for patients with chronic neck pain.
评估高频（HF）或低频（LF）经皮电刺激神经疗法（TENS）在特定治疗性锻炼方案中对慢性颈痛患者治疗的附加效果。
一项随机对照试验。60名患有慢性颈痛的男女参与者被随机分为三组：治疗性锻炼组 + 安慰剂TENS（n = 20），治疗性锻炼组 + HF TENS（n = 20）和治疗性锻炼组 + 低频TENS（n = 20）。使用了以下评估工具：数字疼痛评分量表、颈部功能障碍指数、疼痛相关灾难化思维量表和坦帕运动恐惧量表。在干预前、八个治疗疗程后以及治疗结束后1个月对参与者进行评估。主要结局是在八个治疗疗程后测量的功能障碍。次要结局是八个治疗疗程后的疼痛强度、灾难化思维和运动恐惧，以及治疗疗程结束后4周的疼痛强度。
三组在个人和临床特征的基线时相似。关于主要研究分析，在主要变量（功能障碍）以及次要变量（疼痛强度、灾难化思维和运动恐惧）方面，组间没有显著（p > 0.05）或临床（d < 0.80）差异。
与安慰剂TENS相比，HF或LF TENS对慢性颈痛患者的锻炼方案没有提供额外的临床益处。
