Therapeutic effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation for treating patients with chronic low back pain

This retrospective study investigated the effectiveness and safety of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). A total of 72 patients with CLBP were included in this retrospective study. All patients received usual care, and were assigned to a NMES group (n = 36) and a control group (n = 36). In addition, patients in the NMES group also received NMES for a total of 4 weeks. The primary outcome was pain intensity, measured by numerical rating scale (NRS). The secondary outcome was disability, assessed by the Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), and the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QBPDS). The outcomes were evaluated before and after 4-week treatment. After 4-week treatment, the patients in the NMES group did not show better effectiveness in pain intensity relief, as measured by NRS (P = .11); and disability improvement, as evaluated by the RMDQ (P = .14), and QBPDS (P = .33), when compared with the patients in the control group. Additionally, no adverse events related to the NNES were recorded. The results of this study did not show promising effectiveness of NMES for patients with CLBP after 4-week treatment.