ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN EFFICACY OF TRANSCUTANEOUS ELECTRICAL NERVE STIMULATION IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC PAIN

Patients afflicted with chronic pain have both physical and psychological problems. This research investigated the impact of the psychological factors in the treatment results of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in the patients afflicted with chronic diseases. The subjects were 37 individuals (20 males and 17 females) with the mean age of 46 who had referred to two centers of physiotherapy treatment to receive TENS treatment process. Subjects were suffering from chronic pain in upper part of their body, hands and legs. The subjects were tested and screened psychologically by PDQ4+, MPQ, MPI, and BDI questionnaires. On the basis of the personality disorder and the intensity of the depression, they were divided into two groups: 1) patients with psychological symptoms (n = 14); and 2) patients without psychological symptoms (n = 23). In order to study the rate of the pain intensity reduction in both groups, the MPQ questionnaire was used in three stages (before beginning, in the middle and at the end of the treatment). Also, the MPI questionnaire was used in order to review the inter-personal problems, the interference of the pain in life, daily performance and the rate of social support. Results showed that in each group, the pain intensity had significantly reduced as a result of the impact of TENS treatment and the psychological factors did not have meaningful impacts. Also there was statistically significant correlation between the rate of social support of the family members and the reduction of pain intensity.