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Conventional Radiofrequency, Pulse Radiofrequency, and TENS for Lumbar Facet Joint Pain

NCT02942147 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 60

Last updated 2018-01-31

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the efficacy of TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) therapy with those of the conventional radiofrequency and pulse radiofrequency therapies.

Design: A single-blind randomized controlled trial

Setting: An outpatient physical therapy and rehabilitation clinic

Subjects: The study included 60 patients who presented with a complaint of chronic low back pain prevailing at least for 3 months and who were diagnosed with facet joint syndrome.

Interventions: The patients were randomized into 3 groups so that Group 1 (n: 20) patients would receive conventional radiofrequency therapy, Group 2 (n: 20) patients conventional TENS procedure for 15 days and Group 3 (n: 20) patients pulse radiofrequency therapy.

Main measures: The patients were assessed before treatment, and at month 1 and 6 for pain (visual analogue scale), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), lumbar movements (hand-floor distance), functional status (20-meter walking times, 6-min walking distances), quality of life (Short Form 36), and depression (Beck Depression Inventory).

Conditions

  • Low Back Pain

Interventions

DEVICE

TENS

Group 2 patients were administered TENS therapy 30 minutes a day for 15 days at the outpatient physiotherapy unit of the Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department. The TENS therapy was applied in the form of conventional TENS subtype with 80-100 Hz frequency by placing four electrodes on the region where the pain was most intense.

PROCEDURE

Conventional or Pulse Radiofrequency

In the radiofrequency method applied to Group 1 and Group 3 patients, the targeted facet joints were marked while the fluoroscope was in antero-posterior position. During this marking, the fluoroscope was directed towards cephal or caudal so that at whatever level the median ramus block was to be involved the endplate of that vertebra would become a straight line. The connection point of the superior articular protrusion was marked on the fluoroscope using the transverse process and the intervention was applied with a 22G, 10-cm radiofrequency cannula with 0.5 cm active tip in a way that bone contact was established through the tunneled vision technique. The intervention was completed after the radiofrequency procedure was applied at four levels.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Ege University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2014-01-31
Primary Completion
2015-09-30
Completion
2016-10-31

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT02942147 on ClinicalTrials.gov