TENS of MENS for Rotator Cuff Tear

Attikon University Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Rotator Cuff Tear

Treatments: Device: TENS; Device: MENS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03781349

EBD624/6-2-15

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study was to clarify the effectiveness of physiotherapeutic intervention through the TENS or MENS in conjunction with kinesiotherapy in patients with partial thickness rotator cuff tear.

Full description

The primary characteristic of a rotator cuff tear is pain, while muscle weakness appears as a secondary feature, leading to further disability.

The aim of this study was to clarify the effectiveness of physiotherapeutic intervention through the TENS or MENS in conjunction with kinesiotherapy in patients with partial thickness rotator cuff tear.

Enrollment: 42 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients suffering shoulder pain because of partial thickness rotator cuff tear, confirmed with MRI and ultrasound scanning.
• Patients not receiving any recent pharmacotherapy with NSAIDs during the last month, or surgery at the shoulder area at any time point,
• The referral orthopedic had suggested physiotherapy.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with open wounds or skin diseases in the shoulder area
• pregnant women
• patients with any type of neoplastic disease
• patients with pacemakers or serious cardiovascular diseases including arrhythmia, - patients with collagen diseases
• history of shoulder surgery

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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42 participants in 2 patient groups

MENS

Active Comparator group

Description:

MENS are applied through placement of six electrodes (size of 4x4cm), of which four were placed exactly like the TENS electrodes and the other two, one in the palm and the other at the height of the asteroid ganglion. Duration of the intervention was 24 min for a total of 15 sessions. The frequency was 50 Hz and the intensity was 100 μA.

Treatment:

Device: MENS

TENS

Active Comparator group

Description:

TENS are applied through the placement of four electrodes on either side of the deltoid muscle, on the front and back surfaces of the shoulder joint for 20 min and each patient received 15 sessions (five per week). A constant current of high frequency was used (100 HZ) and its intensity was initiated at 10mA and was then gradually increased to 15mA

Treatment:

Device: TENS