A comparative study between the short term pain relief effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and hot water bottles in neck pain

Abstract

Objective: The main objective of the study was to identify the superior modality between Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) and Hot Water Bottle (HWB) interventions, when treating mild to moderate neck pain in 18 to 25 year old students. This was primarily identified on the basis of which modality provided higher immediate and short term pain relief. Method: The study design was quantitative, comparative, and explanatory. The WILDA Pain Assessment Guide and the Numerical Rating Scale were the main outcome measures, used in the pre-test and post-tests, respectively. A randomised control trial was utilised, whereby participants were allocated a TENS, TENS placebo, HWB, or HWB placebo, intervention through a digital randomiser. Furthermore, a single blind approach minimised bias. Recruitment was on a voluntary basis, provided participants met the study's criteria. Results: The primary outcome of the data analysis identified that there was no significant difference in TENS and HWB analgesia immediately post-intervention (p=0.891) nor short term post-intervention (p=0.705). Furthermore, a significant decrease was seen in the mean pain intensity score reduction of TENS (p=0.000) and HWB (0.002) against their respective placebos, immediately post-intervention. Conversely, non-significant scores were obtained by TENS (0.619) and HWB (0.537), at short term.