title: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) treatment outcome in long-term users.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous reviewers of the literature on transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) outcome have concluded the following: (a) there are few long-term TENS follow-up studies, and (b) fewer studies have addressed the effect of long-term TENS use on outcome variables other than pain (e.g., function). DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS/OUTCOME MEASURES: From a population of 2,003 chronic pain patients (CPPs) who bought a TENS device for pain management, 506 patients were randomly selected and interviewed by telephone long enough after purchase to allow at least 6 months of TENS use. The interview process used a structured "skip" questionnaire designed to assess the CPPs' perceptions regarding the effectiveness of TENS for a variety of outcome variables. Of the 506 CPPs interviewed, 376 (74.3%) had used their TENS device for 6 months or longer and were defined as long-term users. The responses of this group of CPPs to the telephone questionnaire were then subjected to statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Paired t-tests, correlated z-tests, SS Wilks, and chi-square tests demonstrated statistically significant change or improvement (p < 0.05) that paralleled the introduction of TENS use in the following outcome variables: less pain interference with work, home, and social activities; increased activity level and pain management; decreased use of other therapies (e.g., physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic); decreased use of narcotics, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that TENS is associated with improvement on multiple outcome variables in addition to pain relief for CPPs who are long-term users. Also, for some CPPs, long-term TENS use continues to be effective.
authors.affiliation: University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fishbain
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chabal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Heine
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cutler
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation; D016896:Treatment Outcome