Combining transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation with therapeutic exercise to reduce pain in an elderly population: a pilot study
Creators: name: Vaillancourt, Simon
name: Coulombe-Lévêque, Alexia
name: Fradette, Julie
name: Martel, Stéphanie
name: Naour, Wafaa
name: da Silva, Rubens A.
name: Léonard, Guillaume
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Physiology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Chronic pain is a highly prevalent and debilitating condition, and there is a pressing need to find safe, effective and affordable treatments to tackle this public health issue. This pilot study aimed to assess whether therapeutic exercises supplemented by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation induces a greater hypoalgesic effect than therapeutic exercises supplemented by sham transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, in an elderly population suffering from chronic pain. Eighteen elderly participants suffering from chronic pain completed a therapeutic exercise program consisting of 45-min group sessions administered twice a week for 4 weeks. Half of the participants received real transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation during the exercise sessions, while the others received sham transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. Participants completed pain questionnaires (McGill Pain Questionnaire, Brief Pain Inventory, Beck Depression Index) before and after the intervention, and recorded their pain levels on an 11-point numerical rating scale before and after each session (Clinical Trial.Gov ID: NCT02445677). Our results suggest that supplementing exercise sessions with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation does not improve the long-term outcomes of elderly patients suffering from chronic pain, but does induce short-term hypoalgesia during exercise sessions. Our study also offers valuable guidelines for the implementation of a future and adequately powered study looking at this research question.Implications for rehabilitationThe application of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation during exercises is well tolerated by elderly individuals suffering from chronic pain.Supplementing exercises with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation does not seem to improve general outcome in elderly suffering from chronic pain.Notwithstanding, the addition of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation tends to produce a marked hypoalgesic effect during the exercise sessions, an effect that could prompt indirect benefits for pain patients. The application of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation during exercises is well tolerated by elderly individuals suffering from chronic pain. Supplementing exercises with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation does not seem to improve general outcome in elderly suffering from chronic pain. Notwithstanding, the addition of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation tends to produce a marked hypoalgesic effect during the exercise sessions, an effect that could prompt indirect benefits for pain patients.