Effectiveness of Electrotherapy in Chronic Painful Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy is the commonest complication of diabetes; more than 50% of people with type 2 diabetes of 10 years duration have been affected with diabetic neuropathy. Chronic Distal Symmetrical Polyneuropathy (DSPN) and autonomic neuropathy are the common neuropathies and most studied neuropathies. DSPN is the most common clinical neuropathy of the diabetes population and up to 50% of DSPN patients may experience symptoms, most frequently burning pain, electrical or stabbing sensations, paresthesiae, hyperasthesiae and deep aching pain. Neuropathic pain is typically worse at night and the symptoms are most commonly experienced in the feet and lower limbs, although in some cases the hands may also be affected. Most of the painful DSPN patients may experience excruciating pain in early stages of neuropathy. Glycaemic control, preferably with insulin is the mainstay of prevention and delay the progression of diabetic neuropathies. Apart from glycaemic control, pregabalin and duloxetine have received regulatory approval for the treatment of neuropathic pain in diabetes and various nonpharmacological therapies had been tried to reduce the diabetic neuropathic pain. This study is to evaluate the effectiveness of electrotherapy in reducing the severity of pain and to assess the changes in vibration perception in diabetic neuropathy patients.