Riassunto dello studio

Sixty patients with lumbar facet syndrome were randomized to receive continuous radiofrequency thermocoagulation (CRF; n=20), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS; n=20), or pulsed radiofrequency denervation (PRF; n=20). Outcomes of interest included pain on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), hand-floor distance, 20-meter walking test (20MWT), 6-minute walking test (6MWT), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Short-Form (SF-36) scores. Outcomes were assessed at 1 and 6 months. Overall, the results of the study revealed that all treatments showed improvements in pain and functional outcomes at the 1-month and 6-month follow-ups with no superiority of any treatment group over others in any assessed parameter. This suggests that TENS, being non-invasive, may be appropriately used before more invasive procedures like CRF and PRF.