Transdermal electroneurostimulation in patients with diabetic neuropathy

BACKGROUND: The dynamics of pain syndrome determined using various algic tests in the treatment of patients with diabetic neuropathic pain syndrome using tansdermal electroneurostimulation has been little studied.

AIMS: To study the dynamics of projection zones of neuropathic pain syndrome in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy while using TENS.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: 75 patients with diabetic polyneuropathy were examined. The control group (n=25; 33.3%) received a course of standard pharmacotherapy. The main group consisted of 2 groups. The first group (n=25; 33.3%) underwent a course of high-frequency low-amplitude (HL TENS) transdermal electroneurostimulation, and the second group (n=25; 33.3%) underwent a course of low-frequency high-amplitude (LH TENS) therapy. Pain syndrome was determined using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a body diagram before, after treatment and in the long-term period.

RESULTS: Using a visual analogue scale (VAS), the dynamics of pain syndrome after the use of LF TENS was lower than after the use of HFTENS by an average of 35% (p <0.05).

The data obtained indicate that the regression of pain syndrome after physiotherapeutic treatment of TENS in patients from the main comparison groups exceeds similar indicators in patients from the control group by an average of 63% (p <0.05) both immediately after the course of exposure and in the distant the observation period by 23%. Against the background of TENS, the area of pain syndrome according to the body pattern significantly decreased by 53% after treatment (p <0.05) and by 65.6% in the long-term period (p <0.05), compared with a decrease in the area of pain syndrome in the control group.

CONCLUSION: There were revealed significant differences between the quantitative and projection forms of pain measurement. The use of TENS enhances the analgesic effect of drug therapy in the treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain syndrome by 1.37 times while maintaining this effect without negative dynamics for 2 months after the end of the course of non-drug therapy. The developed technique for assessing pain syndrome using a body diagram in combination with a visual analogue scale (VAS) in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy provides a more reliable assessment of pain syndrome.