The Use of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) in a Major Cancer Center for the Treatment of Severe Cancer-Related Pain and Associated Disability
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cancer pain is difficult to treat, often requiring a multimodal approach. While medication management remains the mainstay for the treatment of cancer pain, medications are often associated with undesired side effects. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) provides a potential adjunctive method for treating cancer pain with minimal side effects. OBJECTIVE: Few studies have been performed evaluating the efficacy of TENS on cancer pain. We sought to examine the usefulness of TENS on all cancer patients and to specifically look at the use of TENS as a goal-directed therapy to improve functionality. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Since 2008, patients with chronic cancer pain and on multimodal pain regimens were trialed with TENS. Those patients who showed an improvement in pain symptoms or severity were educated about and provided with a TENS unit for use at home. Pain symptoms and scores were monitored with the visual analog scale (VAS), the numerical rating pain (NRP) scale, and Short-Form McGill Questionnaire at the start of TENS treatment and at 2 months follow-up. RESULTS: TENS proved beneficial in 69.7% of patients over the course of 2 months. In TENS responsive patients, VAS scores decreased by 9.8 on a 0-100 mm scale (P < 0.001), and NRP scores decreased by 0.8 on a 1-10 scale (P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: Lack of placebo and lack of blinding of physician and patient. CONCLUSIONS: TENS provides a beneficial adjunct for the treatment of cancer pain, especially when utilized as a goal-directed therapy.
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TENS-responsive patients decreased pain intensity scores by a mean of 9.8 on a 0-100 mm scale.
“One recent study showed that TENS proved beneficial in 70 % of patients over the course of 2 months and that TENS-responsive patients decreased pain intensity scores by a mean of 9.8 on a 0–100 mm scale [55].”
From Identification and Management of Chronic Pain in Primary Care: a Review (2016) · cites this paper as [55]
In one study, TENS proved beneficial in 70% of patients over the course of 2 months.
“One recent study showed that TENS proved beneficial in 70 % of patients over the course of 2 months and that TENS-responsive patients decreased pain intensity scores by a mean of 9.8 on a 0–100 mm scale [55].”
From Identification and Management of Chronic Pain in Primary Care: a Review (2016) · cites this paper as [55]
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Identification and Management of Chronic Pain in Primary Care: a Review
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- Authors
- Loh, J., & Gulati, A.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Gulati, Amitabh
- ORCID
- Gulati, Amitabh
- Venue
- Pain Medicine
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2015-06
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1204-1210
- ISSN
- 1526-2375 (ISSN-L)
- 1526-4637
- OpenAlex
- W1693345708
- Cited by
- 51
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 1.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Pain Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Opioid Use
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Treatment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Anesthesia and Pain Management
- Keywords
- transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, cancer pain, chronic pain, multimodal pain management, pain-related disability, functional improvement, home-based pain management
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Child, Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation, Female, Disabled Persons, Persons with Disabilities, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Pain, Pain Measurement, Retrospective Studies, Severity of Illness Index, Cohort Studies, Treatment Outcome, Young Adult, Pain Management
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