The effectiveness of acupuncture/TENS for phantom limb syndrome. I: A systematic review of controlled clinical trials

Hu, Xiao-Yang, Trevelyan, Esme, Yang, Guo-Yan, Lee, Myeong Soo, Lorenc, Ava, Liu, Jian-Ping and Robinson, Nicola (2014) The effectiveness of acupuncture/TENS for phantom limb syndrome. I: A systematic review of controlled clinical trials. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 6 (3), 355-364. (doi:10.1016/j.eujim.2014.01.003).

Abstract

AbstractIntroduction Phantom limb pain (PLP)/phantom limb sensation (PLS) is common in amputees and difficult to treat but either acupuncture or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may provide relief. A systematic review of controlled studies was carried out to explore clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and adverse effects of these treatments on PLP/PLS. Method Literature searches were carried out using 18 databases (inception – February 2013). Reporting quality and risk of bias of controlled studies were assessed by independent reviewers. Results In two controlled studies, acupuncture significantly improved pain compared with usual care (visual analogue scale 0.17 ± 0.804 vs. 1.82 ± 1.919, p < 0.05; visual rating scale 1.45 ± 1.52 vs. 1.81 ± 2.22, p: not reported); two studies using \ TENS\ showed significant improvement in pain compared with sham \ TENS\ (pain rating index total F(1.31) = 7.48, p < 0.01; pain complain 0/12 vs. 7/12). One study showed better pain relief with \ TENS\ stimulation at stumps than stimulation on contralateral side. The reporting quality and methodological quality of controlled studies are critically discussed. Conclusion There is some evidence for the use of acupuncture and \ TENS\ for the treatment of PLP/PLS but insufficient high quality evidence is available. No studies evaluated cost effectiveness or adverse effects.

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Contributors

Author: Xiao-Yang Hu

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