Effects of Combined Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Sling Exercise on Low Back Pain, Functional Disability, and Dynamic Balance in Patients with Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain

Key Points

• This study aimed to evaluate the effect of combining TENS and sling exercises on pain, functional disability, and dynamic balance in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain.
• Forty patients aged 20-65 with a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score of 4 or higher were randomly assigned to TENS+Sling (n=20) and Sling (n=20) groups.
• Interventions were conducted 5 times per week for 6 weeks, with the TENS+Sling group receiving TENS prior to sling exercises.
• Assessments were done before, immediately after, and 4 weeks post-intervention using NRS, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Functional Reach Test (FRT).
• Significant group × time interaction effects were found for NRS (F=8.86, p=.003), ODI (F=5.74, p=.021), and FRT (F=7.18, p=.011).
• The TENS+Sling group showed significant improvements in all variables (p<.05), while the Sling group only improved significantly in ODI and FRT without significant change in NRS.

Abstract