SynthesisBrazilian journal of physical therapy
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and interferential current demonstrate similar effects in relieving acute and chronic pain: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Brazilian journal of physical therapy. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03520166 (Treatment of Overactive Bladder, Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Pelvic Pain With Medium Frequency Electrotherapy), which is not on this map. Cited by 22 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Treatment of Overactive Bladder, Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Pelvic Pain With Medium Frequency Electrotherapy (Interferential Currents)
Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effectiveness of physical therapy on pain, disability and quality of life in women with lumbopelvic pain in postpartum period: a systematic review with evidence gap map and meta-analysis.BMC women's health · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness of interferential current therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Scientific reports · 2022Pooled it
- Does Adding Electroanalgesic Modalities to a Multimodal Therapeutic Program Improve Clinical Outcomes in Individuals With Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain? A Randomised Controlled Trial.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2025Trial
- Effectiveness and Safety of Pharmacopuncture Therapy Compared to Standard Physical Therapy in Patients with Chronic Knee Pain: A Pilot Study for a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Trial
- Effect of Different Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Modalities on Clinical and Functional Outcomes in Older Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Clinical interventions in aging · 2025Trial
- Comparison the effect of Swedish massage and interferential electrical stimulation on labor pain and childbirth experience in primiparous women: a randomized controlled clinical trial.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2022Trial
- Exercise program combined with electrophysical modalities in subjects with knee osteoarthritis: a randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2020Trial
- Article
- Do Electrical Stimulation Devices Reduce Pain and Improve Function?-A Comparative Review.Pain and therapy · 2023Review
- Pelvic floor hypertension: possible factors for pelvic floor tenderness in endometriosis patients-a pilot study.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2023Article
- Article
- A novel non-invasive brain stimulation technique: "Temporally interfering electrical stimulation".Frontiers in neuroscience · 2023Review
- Using TENS for Pain Control: Update on the State of the Evidence.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2022Review
- Effect of different electrostimulation currents on female urinary incontinence: A protocol of a randomized controlled trial.PloS one · 2022Article
- Clinical applications and consideration of interventions of electrotherapy for orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation.Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA · 2022Article
- Detection of Changes on Parameters Related to Heart Rate Variability after Applying Current Interferential Therapy in Subjects with Non-Specific Low Back Pain.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- The Added Value of Subcutaneous Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation Combined with SCS, as Salvage Therapy, for Refractory Low Back Pain Component in Persistent Spinal Pain Syndrome Implanted Patients: A Randomized Controlled Study (CUMPNS Study) Based on 3D-Mapping Composite Pain Assessment.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Article
- Does TENS Reduce the Intensity of Acute and Chronic Pain? A Comprehensive Appraisal of the Characteristics and Outcomes of 169 Reviews and 49 Meta-Analyses.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2021Review
- Resolving Long-Standing Uncertainty about the Clinical Efficacy of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) to Relieve Pain: A Comprehensive Review of Factors Influencing Outcome.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2021Review
- Best Practices for Chiropractic Management of Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline.Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTranscutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and interferential current have been widely used in clinical practice. However, a systematic review comparing their effects on pain relief has not yet been performed.
objectivesTo investigate the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and interferential current on acute and chronic pain.
methodsWe use Pubmed, Embase, LILACS, PEDro and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials as data sources. Two independent reviewers that selected studies according to inclusion criteria, extracted information of interest and verified the methodological quality of the studies made study selection. The studies were selected if transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and interferential current were used as treatment and they had pain as the main outcome, as evaluated by a visual analog scale. Secondary outcomes were the Western Ontario Macmaster and Rolland Morris Disability questionnaires, which were added after data extraction.
resultsEight studies with a pooled sample of 825 patients were included. The methodological quality of the selected studies was moderate, with an average of six on a 0-10 scale (PEDro). In general, both transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and interferential current improved pain and functional outcomes without a statistical difference between them.
conclusionTranscutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and interferential current have similar effects on pain outcome The low number of studies included in this meta-analysis indicates that new clinical trials are needed.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.