Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for pain relief in knee osteoarthritis：a Meta-analysis / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Extensive studies have shown that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) plays a positive role in relieving the pain caused by a variety of diseases. However, its exact effect to manage pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis is stil controversial. TENS is classified into h-TENS and l-TENS, but currently its respective role in relieving the pain caused by knee osteoarthritis is not clear yet. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of h-TENS and l-TENS on pain relieving among patients with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: A computer-based search was performed on PubMed, Embase and Cochrane database for randomized controled trials on TENS for the treatment of knee pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis which were reported before February 2014. Methodology quality of the trials was criticaly assessed and relative data were extracted. These studies were selected independently by two reviewers according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was performed using Revman5.2 software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 10 randomized controled trials involving 519 cases were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that the h-TENS group had significant effects on pain relief in knee osteoarthritis patients in comparison to the control group [MD=-0.56, 95%CI(-0.98,-0.15),P=0.008]; the l-TENS group had no significant effect on pain relief in knee osteoarthritis patients in comparison to the control group [MD=-0.13, 95%CI(-1.63, 1.38),P=0.87]; the h-TENS group had significant effect on pain relief in knee osteoarthritis patients in comparison to the l-TENS group [MD=-0.85, 95%CI(-1.32, -0.37), P=0.000 5]. These findings indicate that h-TENS performs something positive to reduce pain in knee osteoarthritis patients that l-TENS cannot do. Owing to the limitations of this study, further work is needed to determine the role of TENS in pain management among patients with knee osteoarthritis.