PLACEBO TRIAL OF DENS EFFICIENCY IN PATIENTS WITH OSTEOPOROTIC SPINE FRACTUR

Evstigneeva L.P. Randomized placebo controlled trial of dynamic electroneurostimulation efficiency in pacients with osteoporotic spine fractures / L.P. Evstigneeva, T.P. Polyanskaya, A.A. Vlasov // European Spain Journal. 2009. Vol. 18 sup. 4. p. 501-502.

RANDOMIZED PLACEBO CONTROLLED TRIAL OF DYNAMIC ELECTRONEUROSTIMULATION EFFICIENCY IN PATIENTS WITH OSTEOPOROTIC SPINE FRACTURES

L.P. Evstigneeva, T.P. Polyanskaya, A.A. Vlasov
Family Medicine, Ural State Medical Academy, Ekaterinburg, Russia

Background: Patients with osteoporotic spine fractures have chronic pain syndrome and functional limitations which decrease quality of life.

Dynamic electroneurostimulation (DENS) is non-drug treatment of pain. Sinusoidal fading form of DENS impulse depends on and changes according to changing of skin surface resistance in subelectrode zone. The alternating current impulses stimulate biologically active zones and points causing neurohumoral reactions which are realized in anesthetic and anti-inflammatory effects.

The aim: Evaluation of DENS influence on back pain and quality of life of patients with osteoporotic spine fractures.

Methods: Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial was carried out in which 41 women over 60 years old with pain in back after osteoporotic spine fractures (20 patients in the main group and 21 patients in placebo group) participated. Initially both groups were comparable on all studied parameters.

Patients of the main group were treated with DiaDENS-PC device. An application was carried out in the area of maximal painfulness with 10 Hz frequency during 5 min and than in 77 Hz frequency during next 15 min. Procedures were accomplished daily or every other day during 10 days. An imitation of DENS-effect was created in a control group by DiaDENS-PC apparatus-placebo.

The results of treatment were assessed with QUALEFFO-41 questioning and visual analog scale (VAS) of pain before and after each session and after 6 weeks after the end of treatment. Statistical processing was accomplished with nonparametric tests (Wilkokson, Mann-Whitney, Fisher).

Results: According to VAS back pain in main group reduced from 57.5 to 38.5 mm (p=0.003). An uncertain pain reduction from 63.2 to 56.2 mm was observed in the control group. QUALEFFO-41 in main group showed the reduction of common point from 47.7 up to 43.8, parameters in domains «pain» from 54.3 up to 41.8, «daily activity» from 29.1 up to 23.8 and «mobility» from 34.7 up to 31.3 (p < 0.05). There were no reliable changes of studied indices in placebo group.

There were no differences between compared groups when evaluating parameters in domains «daily activities», «common health state» and «state of mind».

Conclusion: DENS reduces pain, improves quality of life ot patients with osteoporotic spine fractures with preservation of anesthetizing effect in 6 weeks after the course of treatment.