Focal intense brief transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation for treatment of radicular and postthoracotomy pain

Objective: To assess the efficacy of focal intense brief transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation in 2 groups of patients with neuropathic pain. Design: Electric stimulation was delivered with a small stylus electrode pressed against the skin paravertebrally in the radiculopathy group and along the surgical incision in the postthoracotomy neuralgia group. A before-after treatment design was conducted with a verbal pain rating scale. Setting: Outpatient multidisciplinary pain clinic at a Midwestern Veterans Affairs medical center. Participants: Fourteen consecutive patients with well-documented radiculopathy and 4 consecutive patients with post-thoracotomy neuralgia. Results: Statistically significant differences were found in both patient groups, with posttreatment scores reflecting less pain than pretreatment scores for every patient. Conclusions: Patients reported reduced pain ratings following this stimulation technique. Further study of this inexpensive, noninvasive, outpatient technique is needed.