Vitiello 2007.
| Methods |
Design: randomised controlled trial, parallel design Setting: outpatients, single centre Country: Australia |
| Participants |
Sample size/available for analysis: 30/24 Gender: 10 males and 14 females Age: median age of 40 years Duration of disease (weeks, mean): minimum 6 weeks duration Inclusion criteria: "Adults from the geographically local population surrounding Sydney, Australia. Aged between 18 and 50 years. Chronic neck pain of a minimum 6 weeks duration. Assessed as non‐complicated neck pain, i.e. no sign or symptom implying cervical spine discogenic disease or radiculopathy." Exclusion criteria: "Suspicion of relevant Red Flag Conditions such as Spinal fractures, Osseous and Cartilaginous infections, Inflammatory Arthritic conditions, and Malignancy. Yellow Flag Conditions such as Non‐finalised Workers Compensation or Third Party Insurance Claim, Any other non‐finalised compensatory litigation. WAD grade 1–4 whiplash injury within the last six months. Presence of significant vascular disease. Severe or acute relapse of neck pain within the last three months. Motor vehicle accident, serious falls or any other accident requiring medical/hospital treatment within the last three months. Current neurological signs, symptoms or syndromes, e.g. muscle wasting or nerve root signs, epilepsy or paraplegia. Pregnancy or likelihood of pregnancy within the trial period. Spinal or orthopaedic surgery within the past two years. Bowel, or bladder/sexual dysfunction as a result of either lumbar spine or prostate dysfunction. Currently undergoing a course of manual therapy or psychological intervention. Participants not prepared to attend 12 treatment sessions within the first six weeks and a further three assessment sessions over the next 18 weeks." |
| Interventions |
Group 1: ENAR therapy (n = 9) Group 2: TENS therapy (n = 7) Group 3: ENAR sham control (n = 8) Treatment duration: 6 weeks Follow‐up duration: weeks 1, 6, 12, 18 and 24 of the trial Schemes of TENS: electrodes were applied to the skin overlying the posterior surface of the neck and upper thorax regions. Dosage was set to comfortable tolerance level set below muscle fasciculation response. Each of the groups received 10 minutes of their respective therapy. |
| Outcomes |
Primary and secondary outcomes (not specified in text)
|
| Notes |
Funding sources: not reported Conflict of interest: not reported Full text language: English Reason to await classification: it is not clear if the population included chronic neck pain. Action: we contacted the authors asking for separate data from chronic participants (by email ‐ mychiro@iinet.net.au ‐ on 23 February 2019 and 22 October 2019). The authors did not reply. |
EMS: electrical muscle stimulation ENAR: Electro Neuro Adaptive Regulator IFC: interferential current therapy MTrP: myofascial trigger point NMES: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation ROM: range of motion VAS: Visual Analogue Scale