|
First author, publication year
|
Type
|
No of patients on active therapy (n = 259)
|
Method quality
|
Treat-ment period (weeks)
|
Mean baseline pain (mm VAS)
|
Best mean difference (95% CI) of change over placebo (mm VAS)
|
Outcome time points (in weeks, max. effect in bold)
|
|---|
|
Adedoyin-03
|
IF
|
15
|
3
|
4
|
81.0
|
25.4 (8.2 to 42.6)
|
1, 2, 3,4
|
|
Cheing-02
|
TENS
|
16
|
4
|
2
|
-
|
8.4 (0.7 to 16.1)
|
2, 4
|
|
Cheing-03
|
TENS
|
30
|
3
|
2
|
50.3
|
32.2 (23.9 to 40.5)
|
4, 8
|
|
Defrin-05
|
IF
|
45
|
4
|
4
|
71.0
|
41.6 (33.4 to 49.8)
|
4
|
|
Fargas-Babjak-89
|
TENS
|
19
|
3
|
12
|
-
|
45.3 (11.7 to 78.9)
|
6, 12
|
|
Law-05
|
ALTENS/TENS
|
27
|
4
|
2
|
57.3
|
29.7 (7.6 to 51.3)
|
2, 4
|
|
Lewis-84**
|
TENS
|
29
|
3
|
3
|
-
|
7.0 (-5.6 to 19.6)
|
3
|
|
Lewis-94**
|
TENS
|
28
|
1
|
3
|
-
|
4.9 (-8.4 to 18.3)
|
3
|
|
Smith-83
|
TENS
|
15
|
3
|
4
|
-
|
dichotomous data only
|
4
|
|
Taylor-81**
|
TENS
|
10
|
2
|
2
|
-
|
5.5 (-7.3 to 17.8)
|
2
|
|
Yurtkuran-99
|
ALTENS
|
25
|
3
|
2
|
-
|
20.0 (14.1 to 25.9)
|
2
|
|
Best within 4 weeks, all trials
| |
223
| | | |
18.8 (9.6 to 28.1)
| |
|
Best within 4 weeks, optimal trials
| |
156
| | | |
22.2 (18.1 to 26.3)
| |
|
8 weeks
| |
30
| | | |
8.3 (-1.1 to 17.6)
| |
|
Global improvement 8 weeks
| |
15
| | | |
1.8 (0.6 to 4.8) Relative Risk
| |
|
Overall
| |
259
|
3.3*
| |
63.8†
| |
2.8*
|
- *Mean † Weighted mean – Not Available ** Trials with non-optimal treatment
