Immediate effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on six-minute walking test, Borg scale questionnaire and hemodynamic responses in patients with chronic heart failure.
Majid Ashraf Ganguie, Behrouz Attarbashi Moghadam, Nastaran Ghotbi and 2 others
PMID 29643590WHAT IT FOUND
Applying TENS to the quadriceps immediately before walking allowed patients with chronic heart failure to walk significantly further and report less fatigue than when they received placebo or no stimulation.
Key findings
01Patients walked significantly further after TENS application compared to both placebo and no TENS conditions.
02Self-reported fatigue was significantly lower after TENS compared to placebo and no TENS.
03TENS did not significantly change the difference in systolic or diastolic blood pressure before and after walking.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study measured only immediate effects, so it is unknown if the benefit persists or accumulates over time. Participants were limited to NYHA class II or III, so results may not apply to patients with more severe heart failure. The sample size was small, and four patients who started the study did not complete all testing procedures.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume TENS improves long-term functional capacity or alters hemodynamic stability. The study only showed immediate effects on walking distance and fatigue, with no significant changes in blood pressure responses.