Clin Pain.  2019 Dec;18(2):65-69. 10.35827/cp.2019.18.2.65.

Cumulative Therapeutic Effect of High-Voltage Microcurrent Therapy in Patients with Herniated Lumbar Disc

• Yun WH
• Park J
• Kim D
• Park JH

• KMID: 2470349
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.35827/cp.2019.18.2.65

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of high-voltage microcurrent therapy in patients with herniated lumbar disc (HLD) presenting radicular or back pain. METHOD: This is a retrospective study with 33 patients who are complaining pain with HLD findings on magnetic resonance image. Microcurrent therapy was applied to leg or paralumbar area. Treatment was conducted for seven minutes with 250~1000 uA intensity as high as the patients could tolerate via stimulating probe with roller type and the frequency was 60 Hz with a sine wave pulse. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was measured just before and after the treatment.
RESULTS
The degree of pain reduction (ΔVAS) was 1.6 points after treatment on average. The ΔVAS according to the diagnosis, stenosis, dermatome area, medication, pain site and caudal epidural block was not statistically significant. However, the ΔVAS according to the number of treatments (< 3, ≥ 3 times) showed a statistically significant difference (p=0.04).
CONCLUSION
High-voltage microcurrent therapy may help reduce lumbar or lumbosacral radiating pain after the procedure. The effect was better when microcurrent was applied three times or more. This result suggests that the microcurrent would have cumulative effect on reducing radicular or back pain in patients with HLD.

Keyword

Herniated disc; Pain; Electric stimulation; Visual analog scale

MeSH Terms

Back Pain
Constriction, Pathologic
Diagnosis
Electric Stimulation
Humans
Intervertebral Disc Displacement
Leg
Methods
Retrospective Studies
Visual Analog Scale