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
Clinical Trial
. 2020 Oct;52(10):2086-2095.
doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002353.

Using TENS to Enhance Therapeutic Exercise in Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis

Brian Pietrosimone, Brittney A Luc-Harkey  1 , Matthew S Harkey, Hope C Davis-Wilson, Steven J Pfeiffer, Todd A Schwartz  2 , Daniel Nissman  3 , Darin A Padua, J Troy Blackburn, Jeffery T Spang  4
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Using TENS to Enhance Therapeutic Exercise in Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis

Brian Pietrosimone et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2020 Oct.

Abstract

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) facilitates quadriceps voluntary activation in experimental settings. Augmenting therapeutic exercise (TE) with TENS may enhance the benefits of TE in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and quadriceps voluntary activation failure (QVAF).

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effect of TENS + TE on patient-reported function, quadriceps strength, and voluntary activation, as well as physical performance compared with sham TENS + TE (Sham) and TE alone in individuals with symptomatic KOA and QVAF.

Methods: Ninety individuals participated in a double-blinded randomized controlled trial. Everyone received 10 standardized TE sessions of physical therapy. TENS + TE and Sham groups applied the respective devices during all TE sessions and throughout activities of daily living over 4 wk. The Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), quadriceps strength, and voluntary activation, as well as a 20-m walk test, chair-stand test, and stair-climb test were performed at baseline, after the 4-wk intervention (post 1) and at 8 wk after the start of the intervention (post 2). Mixed-effects models were used to determine between-group differences between baseline and post 1, as well as baseline and post 2.

Results: Improvements in WOMAC subscales, quadriceps strength, and voluntary activation, 20-m walk times, chair-stand repetitions, and stair-climb time were found at post 1 and post 2 compared with baseline for all groups (P < 0.05). WOMAC Pain and Stiffness improved in the TENS + TE group compared with TE alone at post 1 (P < 0.05); yet, no other between-group differences were found.

Conclusions: TE effectively improved patient-reported function, quadriceps strength, and voluntary activation, as well as physical performance in individuals with symptomatic KOA and QVAF, but augmenting TE with TENS did not improve the benefits of TE.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Cross M, Smith E, Hoy D, et al. The global burden of hip and knee osteoarthritis: estimates from the global burden of disease 2010 study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2014;73(7):1323–30.
    1. Jordan JM, Helmick CG, Renner JB, et al. Prevalence of knee symptoms and radiographic and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis in African Americans and Caucasians: the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project. J Rheumatol. 2007;34(1):172–80.
    1. King LK, Kendzerska T, Waugh EJ, Hawker GA. Impact of osteoarthritis on difficulty walking: a population-based study. Arthritis Care Res. 2018;70(1):71–9.
    1. Clynes MA, Jameson KA, Edwards MH, Cooper C, Dennison EM. Impact of osteoarthritis on activities of daily living: does joint site matter? Aging Clin Exp Res. 2019;31(8):1049–56.
    1. Nelson AE, Allen KD, Golightly YM, Goode AP, Jordan JM. A systematic review of recommendations and guidelines for the management of osteoarthritis: the chronic osteoarthritis management initiative of the U.S. bone and joint initiative. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2014;43(6):701–12.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources