title: The use of conventional transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in chronic facial myalgia patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of conventional TENS in women affected by chronic facial myalgia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed on 49 women affected by chronic facial myalgia randomly allocated in the TENS group (34 women) and the control group (15 women). The subjective level of pain was assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale indicating the mean (VAS MEAN), the maximum (VAS MAX) and the current intensity of pain (VAS NOW). The level of pain at the muscular palpation sites was assessed by the Pericranial Muscle Tenderness Score (PTS) and the Cervical Muscle Tenderness Score (CTS). The TENS therapy lasted for 10 weeks, and data were collected at baseline, after 5, 10, 15 and 25 weeks. The differences between groups before and after treatment were compared with the Mann-Whitney and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests. The intra-group differences were compared with the one-way ANOVA test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the VAS MEAN, VAS MAX, PTS and CTS were significantly reduced in the TENS group compared to the control group after 10 weeks of TENS (p < 0.05). The intra-group analysis revealed a decreasing tendency of VAS MEAN, VAS MAX, VAS NOW, PTS and CTS in the TENS group in a 25-week period (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study demonstrated the efficacy of conventional TENS in patients with chronic facial myalgia and the decrease in both subjective and objective pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Conventional TENS is a safe, non-invasive, easy-to-administer therapy for chronic facial myalgia.
authors.affiliation: Gnathology Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dental School, University of Torino, Lingotto, Via Nizza 230, Torino, Italy. ilaria.degiorgi@unito.it.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Giorgi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences, Specialization School of Orthodontics, Dental School, University of Torino, Lingotto, Via Nizza 230, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Castroflorio
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Trieste, Via Bazzoni 2, 34143, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sartoris
authors.affiliation: Gnathology Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dental School, University of Torino, Lingotto, Via Nizza 230, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deregibus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D063806:Myalgia / Q000628:therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010173:Palpation; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Facial pain; Physical therapy; Temporomandibular disorders; Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation