Investigation of the effectiveness of interactive telerehabilitation and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on pain, functionality, disability and quality of life in patients with nonspecific chronic neck pain: a randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: Despite the widespread use of TENS in the treatment of chronic nonspecific neck pain (CNNP), there are few studies on Telerehabilitation (TR), and no studies comparing their effectiveness compared to each other in this field. It was planned to investigate and compare the effectiveness of TENS and TR, which is an online rehabilitation tool.

Methods: Forty-eight (female 45, male 3) patients with CNNP, aged 36.31 + 12.54 years, were randomized into TENS, TR or control groups. Pain severity was determined by Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Bournemouth Neck Questionnaire (NBQ), Neck Disability Index (NDI), Copenhagen Neck Functional Disability Scale (CNFDS), and World Health Organization Quality of Life Module (WHOQOL-BREF).

Results: VAS, NBQ, NBI, CNFDS Time*Group interaction showed a significant positive change after treatment (p = 0.013, p = 0.007, p = 0.022, p = 0.005, respectively). The effect size of this difference over time was large (pη2 = 0.177, pη2 = 0.198, pη2 = 0.156, pη2 = 0.208, respectively). Post-treatment, the highest mean difference was found in VAS and NDI values in the TENS (MD:2.656, MD:7.000, p < 0.001), NBQ, CNFDS, WHOQOL-Bref in the TR (MD:13.187, MD:5.312, MD:-9.660, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: VAS and NBQ in the TENS and NDI, CNFS, WHOQOL-Bref in the TR group were more effective after treatment than before treatment in patients with CNNP.

Trial registration: The clinical trial registration number for this study was: NCT06206343 (ClinicalTrials.gov).