ACR Meeting Abstracts

ACR Meeting Abstracts

  • Meetings
    • ACR Convergence 2024
    • ACR Convergence 2023
    • 2023 ACR/ARP PRSYM
    • ACR Convergence 2022
    • ACR Convergence 2021
    • ACR Convergence 2020
    • 2020 ACR/ARP PRSYM
    • 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting
    • 2018-2009 Meetings
    • Download Abstracts
  • Keyword Index
  • Advanced Search
  • Your Favorites
    • Favorites
    • Login
    • View and print all favorites
    • Clear all your favorites
  • ACR Meetings

Abstract Number: L19

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) Reduces Pain and Fatigue and Improves Disease Impact in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Leslie Crofford1, Dana Daily2, Carol Vance3, Ruth Chimenti2, Ericka Merriwether4, Miriam Bridget Zimmerman5, Jonathan Williams6, Meena Golchha6, Li Alemo Munters7, Katharine Geasland3, Barbara Rakel8 and Kathleen Sluka2, 1Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 2Physical Therapy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 3University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 4Physical Therapy, New York University, New York, NY, 5Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 6Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 7Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, 8Nursing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Meeting: 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

Date of first publication: October 4, 2018

Keywords: Fatigue, fibromyalgia, Late-Breaking 2018, Pain management and physical therapy, TENS

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Session Information

Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Title: 5T113 Abstracts: Late-Breaking Abstract Session

Session Type: ACR Late-breaking Abstract Session

Session Time: 4:00PM-6:00PM

Background/Purpose: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition associated with pain and fatigue, especially during physical activity. Treatments designed to modulate central pain pathways to reduce activity-induced pain could improve function and quality of life in this population. TENS activates endogenous central inhibitory pathways and decreases central excitability thus we tested if using TENS during physical activity would improve activity-induced and resting pain and fatigue and lessen disease impact.

Methods: Women aged 18-70, meeting ACR 1990 FM criteria with reported pain ≥4 of 10 at two pre-randomization visits were randomly assigned to active TENS (n=103), placebo TENS (n=99) and no TENS treatment (n=99). Active TENS was applied on the upper and lower back at a mixed frequency, strong but comfortable intensity, 200μsec pulse duration. Placebo TENS was applied in the same manner as active TENS but delivered electrical current for 45s with a ramp to 0 in the last 15s. The no TENS group wore a non-active TENS unit during testing to blind the outcome assessor. Participants were instructed to use TENS during activity for at least 2h per day. Pain and fatigue during activity (6-minute walk test) and at rest were reported before and during application of TENS on the day of randomization and after one month of home use. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed with the brief pain inventory (BPI), multidimensional assessment of fatigue (MAF), revised FM impact questionnaire (FIQR), and a global rating of change. Using mixed model analyses, we examined the effect of TENS using an intention to treat analysis.

Results:  After 1 month of active TENS, the primary outcome of activity-induced pain showed a mean reduction of 1.82 (95% CI: 2.39-1.25) that was significantly greater than placebo TENS (0.85, 95% CI: 1.43-0.27; p=0.01) and no TENS (0, 0.56 – +0.41; p<0.01;). Similarly, activity-induced fatigue showed a mean reduction of 1.53 (2.23-0.83) that was significantly greater than placebo TENS (0.08, 0.79-0.63; p<0.01;) and no TENS (+0.35, 0.34 – +1.04; p<0.01;). With active TENS there were also significant improvements in resting pain, BPI interference, and MAF compared to placebo TENS and no TENS (all p<0.05). Active TENS improved the FIQR by a mean of 8.48 (12.92-4.04), which was significantly different from no TENS (1.39, 4.40- +1.62; p<0.001;) but not placebo TENS (3.42, 6.54-0.30; p=0.07). The global rating of change indicated that 70% of those in the active TENS group improved compared to 31% in the placebo TENS group and 9% in the no TENS group (p<0.001).

Conclusion: Active TENS produced significant improvement in pain, fatigue, and disease impact compared to placebo TENS or no TENS. Most women who received active TENS reported global improvement in their condition. As a safe, inexpensive, home based-treatment, TENS may be included as part of the management strategy for women with FM.


Disclosure: L. Crofford, None; D. Daily, None; C. Vance, None; R. Chimenti, None; E. Merriwether, None; M. B. Zimmerman, None; J. Williams, None; M. Golchha, None; L. Alemo Munters, None; K. Geasland, None; B. Rakel, None; K. Sluka, Novartis, 5,American Pain Society, 2,IASP Press, 7.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Crofford L, Daily D, Vance C, Chimenti R, Merriwether E, Zimmerman MB, Williams J, Golchha M, Alemo Munters L, Geasland K, Rakel B, Sluka K. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) Reduces Pain and Fatigue and Improves Disease Impact in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2018; 70 (suppl 9). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/transcutaneous-electrical-nerve-stimulation-tens-reduces-pain-and-fatigue-and-improves-disease-impact-in-women-with-fibromyalgia-a-randomized-controlled-trial/. Accessed .
  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

« Back to 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/transcutaneous-electrical-nerve-stimulation-tens-reduces-pain-and-fatigue-and-improves-disease-impact-in-women-with-fibromyalgia-a-randomized-controlled-trial/

Advanced Search

Your Favorites

You can save and print a list of your favorite abstracts during your browser session by clicking the “Favorite” button at the bottom of any abstract. View your favorites »

All abstracts accepted to ACR Convergence are under media embargo once the ACR has notified presenters of their abstract’s acceptance. They may be presented at other meetings or published as manuscripts after this time but should not be discussed in non-scholarly venues or outlets. The following embargo policies are strictly enforced by the ACR.

Accepted abstracts are made available to the public online in advance of the meeting and are published in a special online supplement of our scientific journal, Arthritis & Rheumatology. Information contained in those abstracts may not be released until the abstracts appear online. In an exception to the media embargo, academic institutions, private organizations, and companies with products whose value may be influenced by information contained in an abstract may issue a press release to coincide with the availability of an ACR abstract on the ACR website. However, the ACR continues to require that information that goes beyond that contained in the abstract (e.g., discussion of the abstract done as part of editorial news coverage) is under media embargo until 10:00 AM ET on November 14, 2024. Journalists with access to embargoed information cannot release articles or editorial news coverage before this time. Editorial news coverage is considered original articles/videos developed by employed journalists to report facts, commentary, and subject matter expert quotes in a narrative form using a variety of sources (e.g., research, announcements, press releases, events, etc.).

Violation of this policy may result in the abstract being withdrawn from the meeting and other measures deemed appropriate. Authors are responsible for notifying colleagues, institutions, communications firms, and all other stakeholders related to the development or promotion of the abstract about this policy. If you have questions about the ACR abstract embargo policy, please contact ACR abstracts staff at [email protected].

Wiley

  • Online Journal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Permissions Policies
  • Cookie Preferences

© Copyright 2025 American College of Rheumatology