Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2018 Oct 15;43(20):E1174-E1183.
doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000002663.

Does the Use of Electrotherapies Increase the Effectiveness of Neck Stabilization Exercises for Improving Pain, Disability, Mood, and Quality of Life in Chronic Neck Pain?: A Randomized, Controlled, Single-Blind Study

Hilal Yesil  1 , Simin Hepguler  2 , Umit Dundar  1 , Sahel Taravati  2 , Banu Isleten  3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Does the Use of Electrotherapies Increase the Effectiveness of Neck Stabilization Exercises for Improving Pain, Disability, Mood, and Quality of Life in Chronic Neck Pain?: A Randomized, Controlled, Single-Blind Study

Hilal Yesil et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). .

Abstract

Study design: This study was a prospective, randomized, controlled study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) or interferential current (IFC) increase the effectiveness of neck stabilization exercises (NSEs) on pain, disability, mood and quality of life for chronic neck pain (CNP).

Summary of background data: Neck pain is one of the three most frequently reported complaints of the musculoskeletal system. Electrotherapies, such as IFC and TENS, have been applied solo or combined with exercise for management of neck pain; however, the efficacy of these combinations is unclear.

Methods: A total of 81 patients with CNP were included in this study. Patients were randomly assigned into three groups regarding age and gender. First group had NSE, second group had TENS and NSE, and third group had IFC and NSE. Pain levels [visual analogue scale (VAS)], limits of cervical range of motion (ROM), quality of life (short form-36), mood (Beck depression inventory), levels of disability (Neck Pain and Disability Index), and the need for analgesics of all patients were evaluated before treatment, at 6th and 12th week follow-up. Physical therapy modalities were applied for 15 sessions in all groups. All participants had group exercise accompanied by a physiotherapist for 3 weeks and an additional 3 weeks of home exercise program.

Results: According to the intragroup assessment, the study achieved its purpose of pain reduction, ROM increase, improvement of disability, quality of life, mood and reduction in drug use in all three treatment groups (P < 0.05). However, clinical outcomes at 6th and 12 th week had no significant difference among the three groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: TENS and IFC therapies are effective in the treatment of CNP patients. However, they have no additional benefit or superiority over NSE.

Level of evidence: 2.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Groeneweg R, Haanstrae T, Bolmand CAW, et al. Treatment success in neck pain: the added predictive value of psychosocial variables in addition to clinical variables. Scand J Pain 2017; 14:44–52.
    1. Hoy D, March L, Woolf A, et al. The global burden of neck pain: estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. Ann Rhem Dis 2014; 73:1309–1315.
    1. Vernon H. The Neck Disability Index: state-of-the-art, 1991–2008. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2008; 31:491–492.
    1. Yalcinkaya H, Ucok K, Ulasli AM, et al. Do male and female patients with chronic neck pain really have different health-related physical fitness, depression, anxiety and quality of life parameters? Int J Rheum Dis 2017; 20:1079–1087.
    1. Shahidi B, Curran-Everett D, Maluf KS. Psychosocial, physical, and neurophysiological risk factors for chronic neck pain: a prospective inception cohort study. J Pain 2015; 16:1288–1299.

Publication types