Effectiveness of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Interferential Current in Chronic Neck Pain

Comparison of the Therapeutic Effectiveness of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Interferential Current in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Study

The aim of this study was to determine and compare the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), interferential current (IFC), and sham therapy in patients with chronic neck pain.

A total of 57 patients diagnosed with chronic mechanical neck pain were included in the study. Patients were randomized into three groups. Each group received 10 sessions of physiotherapy over a two-week period: one group received conventional TENS, one group received IFC, and one group received sham therapy. Pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), disability and functionality using the Copenhagen Neck Disability Index, quality of life using the SF-36, depression using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and pain characteristics using the SF-McGill Pain Questionnaire.

The inclusion criteria:

• having neck pain for more than six months,
• being between 18 and 60 years of age,
• having sufficient cognitive capacity to complete the study questionnaires,
• being functionally able to participate in an outpatient physical therapy program
• voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study.

The exclusion criteria:

• the presence of motor deficits due to neurological involvement;
• neurological conditions causing dizziness or balance loss;
• congenital pathology of the cervical spine;
• uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or hypertension; any contraindication to electrotherapy (such as pregnancy, severe arrhythmia, pacemaker, active infection, or skin lesions);
• having received physical therapy or injection treatment for the neck region within the past year;
• the presence of any connective tissue or rheumatologic disease (such as seronegative spondyloarthropathies or rheumatoid arthritis);
• the presence of a mass lesion in the cervical spine or neck region;
• a history of cervical spine fracture; and
• the presence of psychiatric or cognitive disorders.