Comments on “Efficacy of diadynamic currents in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review”

Abstract

Introduction: Diadinamic currents (DDCs) are electrotherapy modalities available for musculoskeletal pain management. The aim of this study is to offer quantitative evidence to supplement the systematic review of DDCs for musculoskeletal pain. Method: A meta-analysis was performed using the studies included in the systematic review titled "Efficacy of Diadynamic Currents in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Pain". The meta-analysis involved grouping the results related to the primary outcome, which is the assessment of pain intensity, utilizing both the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Results: The pooled effect demonstrates a reduction in pain levels for both the VAS and the NPRS, with values of -0.83cm (95% CI: -1.9.0.2) and -0.78 points (95% CI: -1.2-0.4), respectively. However, statistically significant differences were only observed for the NPRS. These results align with clinically meaningful differences, particularly in the case of NPRS. Conclusion: While randomized clinical trials report the efficacy of DDCs, the quantitative analysis suggests that the evidence is inconclusive when comparing the two evaluated scales. Furthermore, DDCs appear to be a clinically viable alternative that is equivalent to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).