Published Paper Details:

Rotator cuff disease is a common cause of shoulder pain and disability. This literature review assessed the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for treating rotator cuff related conditions. Three randomized controlled trials published between 2016-2020 were included. Results showed TENS therapy combined with standard treatment has a greater impact on reducing pain and disability than standard treatment alone. One trial found patients recieving TENS had significantly lower pain scores and 25% less opioid use after rotator cuff repair surgery compared to placebo TENS. However, the quality of evidence overall is poor. practitioners should communicate the uncertainity of treatment effects and consider other approaches. Further high quality trials are needed to determine if TENS improve outcomes for patients with rotator cuff disease. This review cocludes TENS may provide short-term pain relief and should be used alongside exercise and manual therapy, but long-term impacts are unknown.