Does adding transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to therapeutic ultrasound affect pain or function in people with osteoarthritis of the knee? A randomized controlled trial

148 patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomized to ten, 10-minute sessions over two weeks of either simultaneous ultrasound and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or ultrasound alone. Patients were assessed primarily for pain in six separate measures: total pain; pain during walking; pain during stair climbing; pain at night; pain at rest; and pain during weight-bearing. Results in all measures demonstrated no significant differences between groups in both mean score after 10 days of treatment and reduction in score from baseline after 10 days.