PAIN RELIEF THROUGH TRANS-CUTANEOUS ELECTRICAL NERVE-STIMULATION (TENS) - RESULTS ON PAINFUL NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS IN 180 CASES

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 26  (2) , 153-157
Abstract
A series of 180 patients with painful neurological disorders were treated with TENS [transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation]. The findings most frequently encountered when treatment was successful are analyzed. Depending upon the primary disorder etiology, good results (i.e., pain relief of 20% or higher) were obtained as follows. In cases with peripheral nerve involvement there were good results in 35 amputations, 13 traumatisms and 7 miscellaneous cases (87%). For radicular syndromes there were good results in 19 epidural scar and/or arachnoiditis cases and in 9 miscellaneous cases (60%). Thirty-four cases (67%) of post herpetic pain, 12 cases (25%) of brachial plexus lesions (avulsions), 17 cases (11%) of spinal cord disorders, 5 cases (0%) of Thalamic pain and 16 cases (30%) of post-radiation pain or carcinomatous pain showed good results. Satisfactory long-term results (over 3 yr) were maintained in 80% of cases of peripheral nerve involvement. In all other cases the pain relief percentage decreased with follow-up. In this series the likelihood of good results was associated with the following objective data: pain is generally secondary to deafferentation; pain is localized; TENS application in close contact with the nervous structure innervating the painful area is more productive; and a relative preservation of lemniscal fibers to superior centers must be present so that stimulation can be transmitted.

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