{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T10:26:25Z","timestamp":1785407185492,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"5","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BMR"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>BACKGROUND: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a promising non-pharmacological modality for the management of chronic low back pain (CLBP), but its efficacy and mode of action have not been clearly established. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the responses of plasma beta-endorphin (\u03b2E), met-enkephalin (ME), and pain intensity (PI) among patients with CLBP exposed to TENS or sham-TENS. METHODS: This double-blind trial involved 62 participants (aged 53.29 \u00b1 5.07 years) randomised into TENS group (frequency 100 Hz, burst-rate 2 Hz, burst-width 150 \u03bcs, intensity 40 mA, duration 30 min), and sham-TENS group. The PI and plasma concentrations of \u03b2E and ME were measured at baseline, immediately (0 hr), 1 hr, 24 hrs, and 48 hrs post-intervention. Data were analysed using general linear model repeated measures, ordinal regression, one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis test, independent and paired samples t-tests, Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Kendall\u2019s tau coefficient. RESULTS: There was a significant temporal difference in PI between groups, F (1, 58) = 18.83, p&lt; 0.001; the TENS group had better pain relief. The relative analgesic effect of TENS started immediately after the intervention (median difference [M\u2062D] =-3, p&lt; 0.001), peaked at 1 hr (M\u2062D=-4, p&lt; 0.001), and worn out by 24 hrs (M\u2062D=-1, p= 0.029). However, there was no significant difference in \u03b2E and ME between the groups from 0 hr to 24 hrs post interventions, and no significant correlation between the PI, and \u03b2E, or ME. CONCLUSION: TENS significantly reduced PI up to 24 hrs after treatment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3233\/bmr-210146","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,1]],"date-time":"2022-03-01T13:22:48Z","timestamp":1646140968000},"page":"1053-1064","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation effects on pain-intensity and endogenous opioids levels among chronic low-back pain patients: A randomised controlled trial"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"35","author":[{"given":"Charles Ikechukwu","family":"Ezema","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ogochukwu Kelechi","family":"Onyeso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada"},{"name":"Emerging Researchers and Professionals in Ageing-African Network, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emmanuel Okechukwu","family":"Nna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Safety Molecular Pathology Laboratory, Ranger\u2019s Avenue, Enugu, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Oluwagbohunmi A.","family":"Awosoga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adesola Christiana","family":"Odole","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michael Ebe","family":"Kalu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emerging Researchers and Professionals in Ageing-African Network, Nigeria"},{"name":"School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Goddy Chuba","family":"Okoye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","reference":[{"key":"10.3233\/BMR-210146_ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.1590\/S0034-8910.2015049005874","article-title":"Prevalence of chronic low back pain: systematic review","volume":"49","author":"Meucci","year":"2015","journal-title":"Rev. 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