ArticleAnesthesiology and pain medicine2015
Comparison of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Pulsed Radiofrequency Sympathectomy for Treating Painful Diabetic Neuropathy.
Article in Anesthesiology and pain medicine, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.
- Neuropathic Pain Relief Through Transcutaneous Electrical Neuromuscular Stimulation: Insights From a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Evidence.BioMed research international · 2025Pooled it
- Characterising the Features of 381 Clinical Studies Evaluating Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) for Pain Relief: A Secondary Analysis of the Meta-TENS Study to Improve Future Research.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2022Pooled it
- Non-invasive neuromodulation effects on painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2020Pooled it
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for neuropathic pain in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- Randomized Pilot Study of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Neuropathic/Nociplastic Ocular Pain.American journal of ophthalmology · 2026Trial
- Adding tibial nerve neurodynamic techniques to a rehabilitative pain management strategy improved neuropathy severity and quality of life in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy: a randomized sham-controlled trial.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Trial
- Direct Peroneal and Tibial Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Improving Postural Control in European Women with Diabetic Polyneuropathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Sensory and cortical biomarkers unveil pain modulation mechanisms induced by targeted multisensory neurostimulation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Article
- The effects of pulsed radiofrequency stimulation on mitochondrial function in neurons: a mini review.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Unraveling the Potential of Electroanalgesia: A Literature Review of Current Therapeutics.Cureus · 2024Review
- The effectiveness of neurodynamic techniques in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy: Study protocol for a randomized sham-controlled trial.Advanced biomedical research · 2024Article
- Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: Practical Guidance and Challenges for Clinical Management.Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy · 2023Review
- Analgesic effects of high-frequency and low-frequency TENS currents in patients with distal neuropathy.European journal of translational myology · 2022Article
- Clinical Experience of High Frequency and Low Frequency TENS in Treatment of Diabetic Neuropathic Pain in Russia.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Long-Term Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation as a Treatment for Ocular Pain.Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society · 2021Article
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Relieving Neuropathic Pain: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Applications.Current pain and headache reports · 2020Review
- A study protocol on nerve mobilization induced diffusion tensor imaging values in posterior tibial nerve in healthy controls and in patients with diabetic neuropathy-multigroup pretest posttest design.Contemporary clinical trials communications · 2019Article
- Pulsed Radiofrequency Applied to the Sciatic Nerve Improves Neuropathic Pain by Down-regulating The Expression of Calcitonin Gene-related Peptide in the Dorsal Root Ganglion.International journal of medical sciences · 2018Article
- Comparing the Effects of Isoflurane-Sufentanil Anesthesia and Propofol-Sufentanil Anesthesia on Serum Cortisol Levels in Open Heart Surgery with Cardiopulmonary Bypass.Anesthesiology and pain medicine · 2016Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPainful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a long-term complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes that majorly impacts quality of life. Its prevalence increases with age and duration of diabetes. It is more common in patients who have suboptimal glycemic control over several years. Because DPN may be resistant to conventional treatments, it is common for patients to only have partial pain relief. Therefore, new therapeutic options are needed for the condition.
objectivesThe aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) lumbar sympathectomy in treating painful DPN. PATIENTS AND
methodsSixty-five patients with painful DPN refractory to conventional treatment were randomly and evenly assigned to either the TENS or PRF lumbar sympathectomy groups. Pain evaluations were based on the 10-point numerical rating scale (NRS). Subjects were followed for three months and had a total of four study visits (baseline and 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment).
resultsSixty patients completed all study visits. In both groups, the NRS rating significantly decreased after treatment, with a marked pain reduction observed at the first follow-up evaluation. In the PRF group, the NRS decreased from 6.46 at baseline to 2.76 at the 1 week visit. One and 3 months after treatment, the NRS was 4.30 and 5.13, respectively (P < 0.0001). In the TENS group, the NRS decreased from 6.10 at baseline to 3.96 at the 1 week visit. One and 3 months after treatment, the NRS was 5.23 and 5.90, respectively (P < 0.0001). Unfortunately, the NRS steady increased almost back to baseline levels in the TENS group. The NRS only slightly increased during the follow-up period in the PRF group, but did not reach baseline levels.
conclusionsBoth TENS and PRF lumbar sympathectomy are promising pain relief treatments for painful DNP. However, PRF lumbar sympathectomy seems to have a superior efficacy. Further studies with a larger sample size and a longer follow-up period are needed.
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