Background: Chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP) is a common musculoskeletal condition among middle-aged adults, often causing physical limitations and reduced quality of life. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a widely used non-pharmacological method for pain relief and muscle modulation. Objectives: To compare the effects of two high-frequency, high-intensity TENS protocols on pain, muscle tone, and stiffness in individuals with CNLBP. Design: Single-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Methods: Twenty-eight individuals with CNLBP were randomly assigned to an experimental group (EG) or control group (CG). Both received 60 Hz, highintensity TENS twice weekly for four weeks. Pain equivalent current (PEC), visual analogue scale (VAS), pain degree (PD), muscle tone (Hz), and stiffness (N/m) were measured pre- and post-intervention by a blinded assessor. Results: The EG showed significant improvements in all outcomes (P<.05), while the CG showed significant change only in VAS scores. Between-group analysis showed greater reductions in pain and muscle-related variables in the EG. Conclusion: The EG protocol, with individualized intensity adjustments and targeted stimulation sites, was more effective than the CG protocol in improving pain, muscle tone, and stiffness in adults with CNLBP.

The present study purposed to examine the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, self-stretching and functional massage on the recovery of muscle contraction force for muscle fatigue caused by sustained isotonic contraction. The subjects of this study were 45 healthy students. They were divided into transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation group(n=15), self-stretching group(n=15) and functional massage group(n=15), and using Primus RS. We observed the pattern of changes in maximal voluntary isometric contraction force(MVIC) after causing muscle fatigue in quadriceps femoris muscle through sustained isotonic contraction. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction force(MVIC) were greatly increased after transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, self-stretching and functional massage. In the comparison of recovery rate of muscle contraction force for muscle fatigue caused by sustained isotonic contraction among the treatment groups, it did not show any significant differences. However, it showed that each treatment may be effective in recovery of muscle fatigue caused by sustained isotonic contraction.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not the physical therapist's explanation of the treatment prior to electrical stimulation affects the subjects level of anxiety. Eighty healthy subjects participated in this study and were assigned either to the experimental group receiving information on the treatment (=40) or to the control group not receiving information on the treatment (=40). Transcutaneus Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), a sphygomamometer and the Spielberger State Anxiety Scale Questionnaire were used to investigate the threshold of anxiety. Analysis of data revealed significant differences in pulse and diastolic blood pressure compared to the control group when the subjects were stimulated electrically after receiving information on the treatment. We found significant differences between the two groups. The results of the study indicate that the patient's anxiety can be reduced by the physical therapist's explanation on the treatment.

An A-B-A-C single subject research design was used to assess the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS) and inhibitive techniques on spasticity in a 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. Stimulation electrodes were placed over the sural nerve of the right leg. The standard method of cutaneous stimulation, TENS with impulse frequency of 100 Hz, was applied. Inhibitive techniques including stretch, antagonist contraction, and weight bearing were used. The tonus of the leg muscle was measured by means of a surface-EMG biofeedback unit. Visual analysis of data indicate that the child showed clinically significant reduction of spasticity in passive ankle movement following 30 minutes of TENS and inhibitive techniques application, respectively. The effect of TENS on spasticity inhibition was similar to that of inhibitive techniques. This result suggests that for this child with cerebral palsy, the application of TENS to the sural nerve may induce short-term post-stimulation inhibitory effects on the spasticity of cerebral palsy. Replication of this study with a more complex single-subject design involving more subjects is recommended to confirm this result.