Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in the treatment of chronic pain: predictive factors and evaluation of the method.

Objective: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a widely used therapeutic approach in acute and chronic pain syndromes. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of patient management as well as other factors on the outcome of TENS treatment.

Design: The study was carried out as a retrospective analysis of the course of treatment and the therapeutic results of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) in 482 patients with chronic pain of various origins.

A comparison of laser acupuncture versus placebo in radicular and pseudoradicular pain syndromes as recorded by subjective responses of patients.

In a prospective randomized single blind cross over study the analgesic effects of laser irradiation on acupuncture points and a mock laser treatment (placebo) were compared in a sample of 21 patients suffering from radicular and pseudoradicular pain syndromes. Subjective pain levels were recorded on a visual verbal analogue pain rating scale before and after laser treatment and placebo along with the duration of any effects on pain observed. Mean pain levels after laser treatment were statistically significantly lower than after placebo (p less than 0.