Department of Neurosurgery, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea has conducted a randomized and controlled prospective study on 60 patients with neck pain following rear-end collision between the ages of 20 to 50 years which was published in the known in the medical world “Nerve” journal. The participants were randomly allocated to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and SCENAR therapy. The treatment regimen included 20-min treatment sessions for 4 weeks (3 times per week). Therapeutic effects were evaluated at each of the assessment points (0, 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks) using a visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores and neck disability index (NDI) scores.
The SCENAR group showed superior pain reduction compared with TENS (SCENAR: initial mean VAS score; 6.3, final mean VAS score; 2.1, TENS: initial mean VAS score; 6.2, final mean VAS score; 3.7). Sixteen week NDI scores showed the disability level of the SCENAR group (9.5) was significantly lower than that of the TENS group (14.3).
SCENAR therapy provided a significant reduction in the intensity of neck pain (VAS) and disability (NDI) compared with TENS group. SCENAR therapy is superior to the TENS therapy in reducing and disability for whiplash injury.
