Comparison of efficacy of conventional and acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nevre stimulation (TENS) in patients with knee osteoarthritis

The aim of this study is evaluate the effects of conventional transcutaneous electrical nevre stimulation(TENS) and acupuncture-like TENS on pain, physical function, quality of life in patient with knee osteoarthritis. Material Method: Sixty patients who applied to the Dokuz Eylül University Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation policlinic with knee pain and diagnosed as primary bilateral knee osteoarthritis were included in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups. Patients in group I recieved the frequency of 4 Hz and the pulse width was set at 200 microseconds(µsn) acupuncture-like TENS, group II recieved the frequency of 70 Hz and the pulse width was set at 100 µsn conventional TENS. The duration of treatment TENS treatment is 30 minutes. Assesment of knee pain with VAS of 0-10 cm, knee range of motion(ROM) with goniometer, physical function with Turkish form of Western Ontario ve McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis İndex (WOMAC), quality of life with Turkish form of Short-Form 36(SF-36) were done before teratment, at three weeks and at six weeks. Findings: Both groups showed significant improvement in pain VAS, WOMAC-pain, WOMAC- physical function and SF-36 subgroup scores compared to baseline (p<0.05). There was no significant improvement in knee ROM and WOMAC-joint stiffness in each treated gorup. There was no significant difference between groups. Results: Conventional TENS and acupuncture-like TENS were effective on pain and physical function. TENS has no effect on knee ROM in both groups. No significant differences between the conventional and acupuncture-like TENS groups were detected. Key Words: Knee osteoarthritis, conventional and acupuncture-like TENS