Do Electrical Stimulation Devices Reduce Pain and Improve Function?—A Comparative Review

Treede RD, Rief W, Barke A, et al. Chronic pain as a symptom or a disease: the IASP Classification of Chronic Pain for the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Pain. 2019;160(1):19–27. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001384.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Mäntyselkä P, Kumpusalo E, Ahonen R, et al. Pain as a reason to visit the doctor: a study in Finnish primary health care. Pain. 2001;89:175–80.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Cohen SP, Vase L, Hooten WM. Chronic pain: an update on burden, best practices, and new advances. The Lancet. 2021;397(10289):2082–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(21)00393-7.

Article  Google Scholar 

Dahlhamer J, Lucas J, Zelaya C, et al. Prevalence of chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain among adults. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67:1001–6.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Landefeld JC, Miaskowski C, Tieu L, et al. Characteristics and factors associated with pain in older homeless individuals: Results from the Health Outcomes in people experiencing homelessness in older middle age (hope home) study. J Pain. 2017;18(9):1036–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2017.03.011.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Fisher R, Ewing J, Garrett A, Harrison EK, Lwin KKT, Wheeler DW. The nature and prevalence of chronic pain in homeless persons: an observational study. F1000Research. 2013;2:164. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.2-164.v1.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Morasco BJ, Gritzner S, Lewis L, Oldham R, Turk DC, Dobscha SK. Systematic review of prevalence, correlates, and treatment outcomes for chronic non-cancer pain in patients with comorbid substance use disorder. Pain. 2011;152(3):488–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2010.10.009.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Tang N, Crane C. Suicidality in chronic pain: a review of the prevalence, risk factors and psychological links. Psychol Med. 2006;36(5):575–86. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291705006859.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Steglitz J, Buscemi J, Ferguson MJ. The future of pain research, education, and treatment: a summary of the IOM report “Relieving pain in America: a blueprint for transforming prevention, care, education, and research.” Transl Behav Med. 2012;2(1):6–8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-012-0110-2.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

American Society of Anesthesiologists. (2022 Mar 23). Chronic Pain. https://www.asahq.org/madeforthismoment/pain-management/types-of-pain/chronic/. Accessed 25 Jan 2023.

Geneen LJ, Moore RA, Clarke C, Martin D, Colvin LA, Smith BH. Physical activity and exercise for chronic pain in adults: an overview of Cochrane Reviews. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011279.pub3.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Williams AC, Fisher E, Hearn L, Eccleston C. Psychological therapies for the management of chronic pain (excluding headache) in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD007407.pub. (Accessed 26 January 2023).

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Harvard Health Publishing (2021 Sep 16). Pain. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/pain. Accessed 25 Jan 2023.

Li J, Szabova A. Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks in the head and neck for chronic pain management: the anatomy, sonoanatomy, and procedure. Pain Physician. 2021;24(8):533–48.

CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Bauer BA, Tilburt JC, Sood A, Li GX, Wang SH. Complementary and alternative medicine therapies for chronic pain. Chin J Integr Med. 2016;22(6):403–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-016-2258-y. (Epub 2016 May 26).

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Voon P, Karamouzian M, Kerr T. Chronic pain and opioid misuse: a review of reviews. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-017-0120-7.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Swedish Council on Health Technology Assessment. Methods of Treating Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review [Internet]. Stockholm: Swedish Council on Health Technology Assessment (SBU) Yellow Report. 2006, 177, 1–2.

Ekholm O, Diasso PDK, Davidsen M, Kurita GP, Sjøgren P. Increasing prevalence of chronic non-cancer pain in Denmark 360 from 2000 to 2017: a population-based survey. Eur J Pain. 2022;26:624–33.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

White P. Faculty opinions recommendation of electrical stimulation for pain relief in knee osteoarthritis: Systematic review and network meta-analysis. In: Faculty Opinions–Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature. 2017. https://doi.org/10.3410/f.725277008.793540054.

Seifert HM, Fuglevand AJ. Restoration of movement using functional electrical stimulation and Bayes’ theorem. J Neurosci. 2002;22(21):9465–74.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Glaviano NR, Saliba S. Can the use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation be improved to optimize quadriceps strengthening? Sports Health. 2016;8(1):79–85.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Doucet BM, Lam A, Griffin L. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for skeletal muscle function. Yale J Biol Med. 2012;85(2):201–15.

PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Salazar AP, Pagnussat AS, Pereira GA, Scopel G, Lukrafka JL. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation to improve gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy: a meta-analysis. Braz J Phys Ther. 2019;23(5):378–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjpt.2019.01.006. (Epub 2019 Jan 23).

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Jones S, Man WD, Gao W, Higginson IJ, Wilcock A, Maddocks M. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for muscle weakness in adults with advanced disease. Cochrane Database System Rev. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009419.pub3.

Article  Google Scholar 

Sachetti A, Carpes MF, Dias AS, Sbruzzi G. Safety of neuromuscular electrical stimulation among critically ill patients: systematic review. Revista Brasileira de Terapia Intensiva. 2018;30(2):219–25. https://doi.org/10.5935/0103-507X.20180036.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Miao Q, Qiang JH, Jin YL. Effectiveness of percutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation for neck pain relief in patients with cervical spondylosis. Medicine. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000011080.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Martimbianco ALC, Torloni MR, Andriolo BN, Porfírio GJ, Riera R. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for patellofemoral pain syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;12(12):CD11289. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011289.pub2.

Article  Google Scholar 

Vafadar AK, Côté JN, Archambault PS. Effectiveness of functional electrical stimulation in improving clinical outcomes in the upper arm following stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BioMed Res Int. 2015. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/729768.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Pilutti LA, Motl RW. Functional electrical stimulation cycling exercise for people with multiple sclerosis. Curr Treat Opt Neurol. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11940-019-0597-7.

Article  Google Scholar 

Tang Y, Wang L, He J, Xu Y, Huang S, Fang Y. Optimal method of electrical stimulation for the treatment of upper limb dysfunction after stroke: a systematic review and bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2021;15(17):2937–54. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S332967.

Article  Google Scholar 

Sadowsky CL, Hammond ER, Strohl AB, et al. Lower extremity functional electrical stimulation cycling promotes physical and functional recovery in chronic spinal cord injury. J Spinal Cord Med. 2013;36(6):623–31. https://doi.org/10.1179/2045772313Y.0000000101.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

de Sousa DG, Harvey LA, Dorsch S, Leung J, Harris W. Functional electrical stimulation cycling does not improve mobility in people with acquired brain injury and its effects on strength are unclear: a randomised trial. J Physiother. 2016;62(4):203–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphys.2016.08.004.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Springer S, Vatine JJ, Lipson R, Wolf A, Laufer Y. Effects of dual-channel functional electrical stimulation on gait performance in patients with hemiparesis. ScientificWorldJournal. 2012. https://doi.org/10.1100/2012/530906.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Marsden J, Stevenson V, McFadden C, Swain I, Taylor P. The effects of functional electrical stimulation on walking in hereditary and spontaneous spastic paraparesis. Neuromodulation. 2013;16(3):256–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1403.2012.00494.x. (discussion 260).

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Sabut SK, Sikdar C, Kumar R, Mahadevappa M. Dorsiflexor muscle: effects on dorsiflexor strength, plantarflexor spasticity, and motor recovery in stroke patients. NeuroRehabilitation. 2011;29(4):393–400. https://doi.org/10.3233/NRE-2011-0717.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

van Swigchem R, van Duijnhoven HJ, den Boer J, Geurts AC, Weerdesteyn V. Effect of peroneal electrical stimulation versus an ankle-foot orthosis on obstacle avoidance ability in people with stroke-related foot drop. Phys Ther. 2012;92(3):398–406. https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20100405.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Kroeling P, Gross A, Graham N, et al. Electrotherapy for neck pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004251.pub5.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Johnson MI, Paley CA, Jones G, Mulvey MR, Wittkopf PG. Efficacy and safety of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for acute and chronic pain in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 381 studies (the meta-TENS study). BMJ Open. 2022;12(2): e051073. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051073.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Levin MF, Hui-Chan CW. Conventional and acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation excite similar afferent fibers. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1993;74(1):54–60.

Comments (0)

No login
gif