PICO
Patient/Population
Operating room nurses with LBP (n=44)
Intervention
- TENS
Comparison
- Back exercises (including the strengthening and stretching exercise)
Outcomes
Pain
Disability
Translatability: (3/3) Easy
Comments: “Pain and disability were improved in both groups following 18 intervention sessions. However, improvements in pain and disability were greater in the TENS group as compared to back exercises group. Therefore, our findings suggest that including a TENS component to rehabilitation program for operating room nurses with chronic non-specific LBP may be beneficial.”
Limitations: single-center trial study; small sample; no control group; it was impossible for the study to be blind for the TENS participants.
Appraisals:
Trustworthiness – The study contains no serious weaknesses. Based on this result you should conclude that the trustworthiness of the study is high (90%). This means there is a 10% chance that alternative explanations for the effect found are possible. The effect size was large and 95% CI was OK. (by CAT)
BTB
Intervention – 1
- TENS
Dose
- 15 min, comfortable prickling sensation (about 15 mA)
Periodicity
- 3 sessions per week for 6 weeks.
Local/Technic:
The electrodes of the device were placed in the lower back region. A frequency of 100 Hz, and a duration of 0.2 ms was used.
Intervention – 2
- Exercises
Dose
- exercises were repeated 10–12 times, as many sets of exercise as up to 15 min
Periodicity
- 3 sessions per week for 6 weeks.
Local/Technic:
1)Pelvic tilt 2) Single knee to chest 3) double knee to chest 4) hip flexor stretches 5) squats.
Citation: Jalalvandi, F., Ghasemi, R., Mirzaei, M., & Shamsi, M. (2022). Effects of back exercises versus transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation on relief of pain and disability in operating room nurses with chronic non-specific LBP: a randomized clinical trial. BMC musculoskeletal disorders,23(1), 291. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-022-05227-7