Evaluation of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Pain Relief in Peripheral Neuropathy

Excerpt

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is currently being used in the management of a variety of acute and chronic pain syndromes.^1-4 To date, little information on specific methods of patient evaluation and TENS application has been documented. Although continuous assessment of a patient's response to treatment and subsequent modification of the treatment plan have been an important part of most physical therapy regimens, these issues have not been clearly defined for treatment protocols for TENS. In addition, patients' long-term responses to TENS treatment have not been evaluated. Therefore, accurate assessment of the long-term effectiveness of this modality for control of chronic pain is difficult.

This case history describes specific evaluation and treatment data for a patient who received TENS as part of a pain-management program. The patient's response to treatment during a six-month follow-up period is presented and appropriate modification of TENS application is suggested.