A randomized clinical trial of TENS and exercise for patients with chronic neck pain

Objective: To investigate the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on acupuncture points and neck exercise in chronic neck pain patients.Design: A randomized clinical trial.Setting: Hospital-based practice.Subjects: Two hundred and eighteen patients with chronic neck pain.Interventions: Subjects were randomized into three groups, receiving either (1) TENS over the acupuncture points plus infrared irradiation (TENS group); (2) exercise training plus infrared irradiation (exercise group); or (3) infrared irradiation alone (control); twice a week for six weeks.Outcome measures: The values of verbal numeric pain scale, Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire, and isometric neck muscle strength were assessed before, at the end of the six-week treatment, and at the six-month follow-up.Results: Results demonstrated that after the six-week treatment, significant improvement in the verbal numerical pain scale was found only in the TENS group (0.60±2.54, p=0.027) and the exercise group (1.57±...