Electroacupuncture and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: a Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Background. Chronic nonspecific low back pain impairs function in affected individuals. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) has shown to be effective in reducing the intensity of chronic nonspecific low back pain and should be used as a complementary treatment. The same can be said for electroacupuncture (EA), which consists of the application of electrical stimulation through punctured needles in acupuncture meridians, generating physiological reactions and leading to therapeutic effects. Objective. To compare the effects of EA and TENS in subjects with chronic nonspecific low back pain. Methods. Blind randomized clinical trial of 48 subjects with chronic nonspecific low hack pain. The patients were allocated to the following groups: Conventional Kine-siotherapy (CG), Conventional Kinesiotherapy plus Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (CTENSG), and Conventional Kinesiotherapy plus Electroacupuncture (CEAG). The individuals were evaluated before and after interventions and at a 30-day follow-up for the following factors: pain level, flexibility, lumbopelvic stability, and function. A total of ten interventions were performed three times a week for four weeks. Results. All groups significantly improved pain. However, CEAG reduced pain significantly more than GTENSG and CG (p < 0.05). The three groups significantly improved function at endpoint (p <0.05). Regarding the Roland Morris questionnaire, GCEAC scored significantly lower than CTENSG and CG (p < 0.05). Lumbopelvic stability improved in all tests for CEAG and CG. Conclusions. The association between electroacupuncture and exercise improved pain, function, and lumbopelvic stability in comparison to exercise alone or in association with TENS.