ArticleThe western journal of emergency medicine2018
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) in the Emergency Department for Pain Relief: A Preliminary Study of Feasibility and Efficacy.
Article in The western journal of emergency medicine, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Randomized Controlled Pilot Study of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Acute Back Pain in Emergency Department Patients.The western journal of emergency medicine · 2026Trial
- Physiotherapy approaches for pain control in patients who are critically ill.World journal of critical care medicine · 2026Review
- Determining the management of pain in people with spinal cord injury by physiotherapists in South Africa.The South African journal of physiotherapy · 2022Article
- Pain management in the emergency department: a clinical review.Clinical and experimental emergency medicine · 2021Article
- Effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical stimulation combined with artificial tears for the treatment of dry eye: A randomized controlled trial.Experimental and therapeutic medicine · 2020Article
- Principles for Chronic Pain Management in the Adult Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Population at the Primary Healthcare Level, in a Developing Context: A Delphi Study.Global advances in integrative medicine and healthArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionGiven the high rates of opioid addiction and overdose in the United States, non-opioid means of treating pain are increasingly needed. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy is an effective non-opioid modality for treating pain, but has not yet been routinely used in emergency department (ED) settings. In this study we asked the following questions: Are TENS units a feasible treatment for pain in the ED? How effective are TENS units for the management of pain in a general ED population?
methodsAt our institution, we performed a pilot study using TENS units for pain. Patients in the ED were given, at the discretion of the ED provider, TENS units for the treatment of pain. Patients could be included for acute or chronic pain on whatever part of the body that was safe to use with TENS.
resultsA chart review of patients receiving TENS units in the ED (n=110) revealed that TENS was useful in relieving pain, along with other treatments, in 99% of cases. When surveyed, 83% of patients reported a functional improvement while using the TENS, and 100% of patients would recommend a TENS unit to a family or friend. When surveyed, 100% of ED staff observed that TENS units were effective in treating pain for patients, and 97% would want to use them if they themselves were patients.
conclusionOverall, in this small pilot study, TENS units appeared to be effective in our ED for reducing pain, when added to standard treatment. Additional studies are needed to determine which conditions are most responsive to TENS therapy, and the magnitude of pain reduction when used alone.
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