According to the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (TENS), a controversial though widely used treatment for chronic low back pain has proven ineffective and is not recommendable.

The pocket-sized battery-operated device has been used for decades a means of pain relief by sending adjustable electric currents to the nerves via electrodes, which cause a tingling sensation in the underlying skin and muscle.

Studies conducted for evaluating the effectiveness of TENS involving patients with chronic low back, excluding those with known causes of low back pain e. g. pinched nerves, curvature of the spine or displaced vertebra, resulted in mixed findings. However, a thorough review of TENS assessment as an effective pain reliever has led to a recommendation in against using it to gain relief from chronic low back pain.

While, scientific and clinical evidence indicates using TENS for relieving lower back pain is a waste of time, the nerve stimulating therapy has been found to be effective treatment for diabetes associated nerve pain i. e. diabetic neuropathy that causes numbness, tingling or a jabbing pain. About 60% of diabetics go on to develop diabetic neuropathy.

The revised guidelines have been published in the 30th December issue of the AAN journal Neurology.