Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) as compared to placebo TENS for the relief of acute oro-facial pain

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Abstract
The effect of high frequency, low frequency and placebo TENS [transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation] on acute oro-facial pain in 62 patients, attending an emergency clinic for dental surgery is described. They had all suffered pain for 1-4 days. The patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups receiving either high frequency (100 Hz), low frequency (2 Hz) or placebo TENS. In the 2 groups receiving TENS (42 patients), 16 patients reported a reduction in pain intensity exceeding 50%; of these 16 patients, 4 patients reported complete relief of pain. In the placebo group (20 patients), 2 patients reported a pain reduction of > 50%; of these 2 patients, none reported a complete pain relief. Mechanical vibratory stimulation augmented the pain reduction obtained by TENS in 5 of 10 patients.