Transcutaneous electrical stimulation and acupuncture: comparison of
treatment for low-back pain.
by
Fox EJ; Melzack R
From: Pain, 2: 2, 1976 Jun, 141-8
Twelve patients suffering chronic low-back pain were treated with both
acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical stimulation. The order of
treatments was balanced, and changes in the intensity and quality of
pain were measured with the McGill Pain Questionnaire. The results,
based on a measure of overall pain intensity, show that pain relief
greater than 33% was produced in 75% of the patients by acupuncture and
in 66% by electrical stimulation. The mean duration of pain relief was
40 h after acupuncture and 23 h after electrical stimulation. Although
the mean scores are larger for acupuncture than for transcutaneous
stimulation, statistical analyses of the data failed to reveal
significant differences between the two treatments on any of the
measures. Both methods, therefore, appear to be equally effective, and
probably have the same underlying mechanism of action. Consideration of
the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods suggests that that
transcutaneous electrical stimulation is potentially the more
practical, since it can be administered under supervision by
paramedical personnel.