Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on physical activity and pain evaluation in osteoarthritic dogs.

TENS showed no significant benefit over placebo for pain or activity in osteoarthritic dogs.

This single-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study evaluated transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) as a non-pharmacological pain management intervention in 15 dogs with osteoarthritis and mild to moderate lameness. The research was motivated by the need for alternative therapies due to inadequacy or adverse effects of standard OA treatments. Assessments included clinical examinations conducted on treatment day and the following day, two validated pain questionnaires, and physical activity monitoring via accelerometers. Activity data were analyzed using two different filtering methods: ActiLife software and an R-based Euclidean norm minus one method. Results demonstrated no significant differences between TENS and placebo treatments in clinical pain responses, pain questionnaire scores, or activity levels. While the filtering methods influenced activity intensity distribution patterns, they did not alter treatment-related conclusions. The authors acknowledge important limitations including small sample size (n=15) and heterogeneous study population composition. These factors may have limited statistical power to detect clinically meaningful differences. The findings suggest TENS may not provide additional benefit beyond placebo effect in canine OA, though further investigation with larger, more homogeneous populations is recommended before definitive clinical conclusions.

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