scholarly journals Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of acupuncture points enhances therapeutic effects of oral lactulose solution on opioid-induced constipation

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (12) ◽  
pp. 6337-6348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hu Cai ◽  
Qinfei Zhou ◽  
Guanai Bao ◽  
Xiangming Kong ◽  
Li-Yan Gong
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Treatment Group ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Electrical Nerve Stimulation

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on opioid-induced constipation (OIC) and patient quality of life. Methods A total of 251 patients were randomly allocated to a treatment group, who received TENS and oral lactulose solution (n = 124), and a control group, who received only oral lactulose solution (n = 127). Constipation and quality of life after treatment were measured by comparing semiquantitative scores based on subjective symptoms. Results The defecation difficulty, incomplete defecation feeling, and overall defecation satisfaction scores of the treatment group were significantly different from those of the control group ( P = 0.018). Bowel Function Index and quality of life scores of the treatment group were significantly greater than those of the control group. The effective rates of control and treatment groups were 85.8% and 91.9%, respectively. Conclusion TENS of relevant acupuncture points significantly relieved the clinical symptoms of constipation of patients with OIC and improved their quality of life.

scholarly journals Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Pain, Function, and Quality of Life in Fibromyalgia: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Noehren ◽  
Dana L. Dailey ◽  
Barbara A. Rakel ◽  
Carol G.T. Vance ◽  
Miriam B. Zimmerman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Double Blind Placebo ◽  
Patient Reported

BackgroundFibromyalgia is a common chronic pain condition that has a significant impact on quality of life and often leads to disability. To date, there have been few well-controlled trials assessing the utility of nonpharmacological treatment modalities such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in the management of pain and improvement in function in individuals with fibromyalgia.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study will be to complete a long-term, multicenter study to assess the effects of TENS in women with fibromyalgia.DesignThis will be a phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial.ParticipantsThree hundred forty-three participants with fibromyalgia will be recruited for this study.InterventionParticipants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: the intervention (TENS), placebo, or no treatment. After completing the randomized period, all participants will receive the intervention for 1 month. The participants will be asked to use TENS at the highest tolerable level for at least 2 hours daily during physical activity.MeasurementsThe primary outcome will be pain with movement, with secondary outcomes assessing functional abilities, patient-reported outcomes, and quantitative sensory testing.LimitationsBecause having participants refrain from their typical medications is not practical, their usage and any change in medication use will be recorded.ConclusionsThe results of this study will provide some of the first evidence from a large-scale, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on the effectiveness of TENS on pain control and quality-of-life changes in patients with fibromyalgia.

Treatment of tinnitus with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation improves patients' quality of life

2006 ◽  
Vol 120 (6) ◽  
pp. 442-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Aydemir ◽  
M S Tezer ◽  
P Borman ◽  
H Bodur ◽  
A Unal
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Nottingham Health Profile ◽  
Emotional Problems ◽  
Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Tinnitus Handicap Inventory ◽  
Sf 36 ◽  
Severity Scores

Objectives: Tinnitus can adversely affect patients' quality of life. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may be effective in the management of tinnitus. No study has investigated the efficacy of TENS for the management of tinnitus by means of quality of life measures. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of TENS for the management of tinnitus symptoms by using the visual analogue scale (VAS), tinnitus handicap inventory test, Nottingham health profile (NHP) and short form-36 (SF-36) questionnaires.Methods: Twenty-two patients were included in this study (male/female, 16/6; mean age, 48.04 ± 15.57 years). Nine patients had unilateral and 13 patients had bilateral tinnitus.Results: After TENS, improvement measured by VAS was only marginally significant (p = 0.059). However, after TENS, there were statistically significant improvements regarding tinnitus severity scores, tinnitus handicap inventory scores, NHP fatigue, social isolation and emotional problems scores, and many parameters measured by the SF-36 (physical functioning, general health, vitality, social functioning, role limitations due to emotional problems, and mental health)(p < 0.05).Conclusion: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is a useful method to improve the quality of life of patients with tinnitus.

scholarly journals Time Dependent Effect of the Combination of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Knee Osteoarthritis Patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (04) ◽  
pp. 196-206
Author(s):  
Rekha Chaturvedi ◽  
◽  
Shabnam Joshi ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Knee Osteoarthritis ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Knee Oa

Background: Osteoarthritis is a highly prevalent musculoskeletal condition. A huge variety of treatment interventions are available but have shown success to limited extent. Treatment intervention managing the symptoms both at the periphery and at the central pain processing can be a better approach to the treat this condition. Objective: The present study aimed to see the time effect of the combination of Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in knee OA patients. Study design: Pre- post experimental study design. Methodology: Seventeen patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis as per American College of Rheumatology criteria were recruited in the study. The combination of tDCS and TENS was applied for 5 consecutive days over the most painful knee. The outcome measures were pain (VAS), function (six minute walk test), disability and quality of life (Knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score) measured at the baseline, one week, two weeks and six weeks after the interventions. Data was analyzed using SPSS (version 21.0) software. Result: The result of the study showed significant improvement in pain, function and quality of life at the short term (week 1) as well as in long term (6 weeks) after the interventions. Conclusion: The combination of tDCS and TENS is a potential intervention in reducing pain and improving function both at short and long term in knee OA patients.

Design and Evaluation of a Modulated TENS Stimulation in Medical Pain Therapy

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-83
Author(s):  
L. Bouafif ◽  
N. Ellouze
Keyword(s):  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Pain Therapy ◽  
Subjective Evaluation ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Electrical Current ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Controlled Clinical Trial ◽  
Electrical Nerve Stimulation

Background: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is a non-invasive pain therapy that uses the sensory effects of an electrical current applied to the skin. Some clinical studies demonstrated that this treatment helps to reduce acute and chronic pains, while others gave sometimes contradictory or uncertain conclusions about the performances of this strategy according to pathology classification. The purpose of this study is the development and evaluation of a new modulated version of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation called PWM-TENS. The principle is based on an automatic variation of the stimulation parameters (frequency, amplitude, duration, shape, cyclic ratio) according to the pain evolution. Methods: The study was a controlled clinical trial involving 15 participants, divided into 2 groups. The first experimental group performed modulated PWM-TENS electro-stimulation sessions applied to the painful areas 3 to 4 times a day, for one month. The second control group did parallel treatments by Placebo. The evaluation of the pain intensity is done with the Visual Analog Scale (EVA), the DN4 and SF36 questionnaires. Results: The tests and measurements with our embedded PWM-TENS technique demonstrated that we succeeded to increase the analgesic effect after stopping the stimulation and reduced the pain sensation by about 60%. An improvement in pain intensity scores and questionnaires (EVA, DN4), as well as the quality of life score (SF36), was observed. Also, a reduction of the treatment period from 3 to 1 month was also obtained. Conclusion: The first results clinically observed in the PWM-TENS technique are encouraging. The findings of this study confirm that this noninvasive strategy is suitable and useful for acute pains coming from the nociceptive, neuropathic and musculoskeletal origin. However, its efficiency is moderated and less adapted for low back pain. The experiments make it possible to estimate whether this modulated TENS method could improve existing anti-pain therapies, taking into account objective and subjective evaluation criteria. But this study must be followed by large population samples to answer all the problems of acute and chronic pains.

scholarly journals Impact and cost-effectiveness evaluation of a community-based rehabilitation intervention on quality of life among Chinese adults with hearing loss: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Ye ◽  
Dawei Zhu ◽  
Siyuan Chen ◽  
Xuefeng Shi ◽  
Rui Gong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Treatment Group ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Chinese Adults ◽  
Community Based ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Hearing loss is quite prevalent and can be related to people’s quality of life. To our knowledge, there are limited studies assessing the efficacy of hearing interventions on quality of life in adults. Therefore, we aim to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to determine the impact and cost-effectiveness of community-based hearing rehabilitation on quality of life among Chinese adults with hearing loss. Methods/design In this two-arm feasibility study, participants aged 16 and above with some degree of hearing loss (n = 464) will be recruited from Linyi City, Shandong Province. They are randomly assigned to the treatment group or the control group. Those in the treatment group are prescribed with hearing aids, while those in the control group receive no intervention. Reinstruction in use of devices is provided for the treatment group during booster visits held 12 months post-randomization or unscheduled interim visits when necessary. Data are collected at baseline and the follow-up 20 months later. The primary outcome is changes in quality of life over a 20-month study period. Secondary outcomes include sub-dimensions in quality of life, physical functioning, chronic diseases, cognitive function, depression, social support, hospitalizations, falls, and healthcare costs. Finally, we will evaluate whether hearing aids intervention is cost-effective to apply in a large scale. Discussion The trial is designed to evaluate the impact and cost-effectiveness of a community-based rehabilitation intervention on quality of life among Chinese adults with hearing loss. We hope that it would help improve the well-being for Chinese adults and provide references in policy and practice for China and other countries. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900024739. Registered on 26 July 2019.

scholarly journals Application of Zizao Yangrong Granules for Treating Targeted Drugs–Related Skin Xerosis: A Randomized Double-Blinded Controlled Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 153473542092483
Author(s):  
Yan Mei Peng ◽  
Hua Duan ◽  
Jingyi Zhang ◽  
Chenyao Sun ◽  
Xu Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Treatment Group ◽  
Growth Factor Receptor ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Targeted Drugs ◽  
Liver And Kidney ◽  
Double Blinded ◽  
And Control

Background: Dermatologic toxicities are the most common side effects associated with the targeted drugs epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs), in which xerosis commonly complicated by pruritus severely disturbs the quality of life. The study has observed the curative effect of Zizao Yangrong granules (ZYG) from Chishui Xuanzhu in the treatment of EGFRIs-related xerosis and pruritus, as well as evaluating the safety of the prescription. Methods: Patients (n = 68) who had xerosis after using EGFRIs were enrolled and then randomly divided into the treatment group and control group, respectively, receiving ZYG and placebo granules combined with vitamin E ointment. The intervention lasted 4 weeks. Changes in xerosis and pruritus were observed, and blood routine examination as well as liver and kidney function are observed as safety indexes. The water content of skin and qualify of life were observed. Results: A total of 66 out of 68 patients finished the study with 34 patients in each group. The effective rates of xerosis among the treatment group and control group were 84.8% and 69.7% after 2 weeks’ treatment ( P < .05), while they were 84.8% and 75.8% after 4 weeks’ treatment ( P < .05). The patients in the experimental group had better quality of life than that in the control group ( P = .045). Conclusion: ZYG can effectively improve the skin dryness associated with EGFRIs, and significantly improve the quality of life of patients with good safety; however, larger randomized controlled trials are needed to verify these findings.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Long-Term Efficacy of Acupuncture Therapy for Subacute Poststroke Aphasia: Study Protocol for a Randomized, Blinded, Controlled, Multicentre Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Xiaolin Li ◽  
Ying Gao ◽  
Chi Zhang ◽  
Qingsu Zhang ◽  
Xiyan Xin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Acupuncture Therapy ◽  
Long Term Results ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
Term Efficacy ◽  
Secondary Outcomes

Background. Poststroke aphasia (PSA) is a disabling condition that decreases the quality of life, and the duration of the disease harms the quality of life of PSA patients. Acupuncture has been widely employed for PSA. There is some evidence for the immediate treatment efficacy of acupuncture for PSA; however, long-term results after acupuncture may be poorer. Methods. This is a multicentre, randomized, blinded, nonacupoint (NA) acupuncture controlled, multimodal neuroimaging clinical trial. A total of 48 subjects with subacute PSA will be randomly assigned to an acupoint group or an NA control group. The acupoint group will receive acupuncture with normal needling at DU20, EX-HN1, HT5, GB39, EX-HN12, EX-HN13, and CV23. The NA control group will receive acupuncture in locations not corresponding to acupuncture points as sham acupoints. Both groups will receive identical speech and language therapy thrice a week for four weeks. The primary outcome will be the change in the aphasia quotient (AQ) score measured by the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) test during the 12th week after randomization. Participants will be blindly assessed at prerandomization (baseline) and 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks after randomization. The secondary outcomes include the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE) score, the Disease Prognosis Scale score for ischaemic stroke, etc. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG) will also be performed at 4-time intervals as secondary outcomes. All scores and image evaluations will be taken at the same point as the linguistic evaluation. The multilevel evaluation technique will be used to assess the long-term efficacy of acupuncture therapy. MRI scans and EEG will be used to assess acupuncture-related neuroplasticity changes. Discussion. The results from our trial will help to supply evidence for the long-term acupuncture effects for PSA over a long follow-up period. It will provide valuable information for future studies in the field of PSA treatment. The trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on 16 March 2020 (ChiCTR2000030879).

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