A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Investigating the Pain-Relieving Effect of Interferential Current on Musculoskeletal Pain

Abstract

Background: Interferential current is one of the most common electrotherapeutic modalities used in the treatment of painful conditions. Patients seeking medical help to reduce their musculoskeletal pain can be treated using interferential current. Objective: The current review aimed to analyze the recently available information regarding the efficacy of interferential current in alleviating the pain of musculoskeletal origin. Methods: This study used Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, and EBSCOas as data sources. The initial selection of the studies, thorough assessment of the full articles, and extraction of the necessary study characteristics were carried out by two independent reviewers. Another two independent reviewers assessed the methodological quality of each included trial against 39 criteria. These criteria were integrated from several popular scales. Pain intensity-measured using the visual analog scale, numeric pain rating scale, or McGill Pain Questionnaire-was the outcome of interest. Results: This review included 35 trials of variable methodological quality from which 19 trials were selected for the meta-analysis. In general, interferential current alone versus placebo demonstrated a significant pain-relieving effect. On the other hand, interferential current showed no significant difference when added to standard treatment compared with placebo plus standard treatment or standard treatment alone. Similarly, interferential current showed no significant difference when compared with other single interventions (laser, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, cryotherapy). Conclusions: Interferential current alone is better than placebo at discharge. However, the low number of studies raises suspicions about this conclusion. Interferential current alone or added to other interventions is not more effective than comparative treatments in relieving musculoskeletal pain.

Analgesic Effects of Interferential Current Therapy: A Narrative Review

“…They concluded that IFC therapy alone reduced pain compared to placebo. Nevertheless, there were no significant differences between IFC and other interventions, such as laser, TENS or cryotherapy; IFC therapy plus standard treatment and placebo IFC therapy plus standard treatment; or IFC therapy plus standard treatment and standard treatment [33].…”

“…We found 4 systematic reviews that investigated the efficacy of IFC for musculoskeletal pain [32,33] and knee osteoarthritis [9,34].…”

“…Twenty-seven studies were included, and IFC was the only effective pain therapy when compared to controls. Thus, IFC therapy seems to be the best electrical stimulation option for pain relief in subjects with knee osteoarthritis [34]; • Hussein et al (2021) analyzed the efficacy of IFC therapy in relieving musculoskeletal pain. Thirty-five trials were included, 19 of which were selected for meta-analysis.…”

Short term effects of a novel combined approach compared with physical therapy alone among older patients with temporomandibular degenerative joint disease: a prospective cohort study

“…Physical therapy, one of the initial treatment options for DJD, includes various measures. The treatment modalities such as the use of low-level ultrasound, interference currents, low-intensity lasers, and ultrashort waves can reduce inflammation, promote microcirculation, and relax masticatory muscles to obtain analgesic effects and improve joint mobility [ 31 – 33 , 42 ]. Manual therapy can improve blood circulation, reduce muscle spasms, relax muscles around joints, rearrange soft tissue, reduce joint adhesion, increase the joint’s range of motion, and reduce pain [ 43 ].…”

Efficacy of Core Muscle Exercise Combined with Interferential Therapy in Alleviating Chronic Low Back Pain in High-Performance Fighter Pilots: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…One of the primary advantages of IFC lies in its ability to reduce skin impedance, enabling it to penetrate deeper into the tissues. IFC not only enhances circulation and alleviates pain by stimulating large nerve fibers but also restores the neurovegetative balance, thereby modulating the sympathetic nervous system and promoting muscle relaxation, potentially contributing to pain alleviation [ 20 , 21 ].…”