title: Effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and interferential currents (IFC) in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain: randomized clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and interferential current are the most used electrotherapy methods, although there is little scientific evidence to support their use. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of TENS and interferential current among patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-blind randomized controlled trial in the Department of Physiotherapy, Centro Universitário de Maringá.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifty patients were randomly divided into three groups: TENS (group 1), interferential current (group 2) and controls (group 3). The patients designated for electrotherapy received ten 30-minute sessions, while the control group remained untreated. All patients and controls were evaluated before and after treatment using a visual analog scale and the McGill Pain and Roland Morris questionnaires, and regarding their use of additional medications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a mean reduction on the visual analog scale of 39.18 mm with TENS, 44.86 mm with interferential current and 8.53 mm among the controls. In the Roland Morris questionnaire, group 1 had a mean reduction of 6.59; group 2, 7.20; and group 3, 0.70 points. In group 1, 84% of the patients stopped using medications after the treatment; in group 2, 75%; and in group 3, 34%. There was no statistically significant difference between the TENS and interferential current groups (P > 0.05); a difference was only found between these groups and the controls (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no difference between TENS and interferential current for chronic low back pain treatment.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  NCT01017913.
authors.affiliation: Centro Universitário de Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. ligiafacci@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ligia Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Facci
authors.forename: Jean Paulus
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Nowotny
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tormem
authors.forename: Virgínia Fernandes Moça
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Trevisani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods