Comparison of Mesotherapy and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) in the Management of Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Introduction-Aim: Chronic low back pain affects 80% of individuals at some point in their lives and has significant socioeconomic impacts. This study aims to compare the efficacy of mesotherapy with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in treating chronic low back pain. METHODS: A randomized bicentric study was conducted at the Military Hospital of Tunis and the Multidisciplinary Military Polyclinic of Mefeteh Saadallah between August 2023 and June 2024. Sixty patients (40 men and 20 women) with chronic low back pain were included. Group 1 (TENS) received 6 sessions of neurostimulation twice a week for 3 weeks. Group 2 (mesotherapy) received 3 sessions of mesotherapy. Measurements included pain, analgesic consumption, physical examination, Oswestry Disability Index, Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) score, and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: Out of 293 patients consulted, 60 were included and randomized. Both groups showed significant pain improvement (p<0.001) with no notable difference between them (p=0.05). Analgesic consumption decreased more significantly with mesotherapy (p<0.001). Improvements in physical examination, Oswestry score, and HAD score were significant in both groups without significant differences between them. Patient satisfaction was high in both groups with an average score of 88/100 for TENS and 77/100 for mesotherapy (p=0.154). DISCUSSION: Mesotherapy and TENS are effective in treating chronic low back pain, reducing pain and improving functional and psycho-emotional scores with no significant difference between them. Mesotherapy reduces analgesic consumption more. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.