- TENS provides clinically meaningful pain reduction
Adding TENS to physical therapy reduced movement-evoked pain by about 1.2 points, exceeding the minimal clinically important difference and improving functionally relevant pain. - Benefits extend beyond pain to fatigue and disease impact
TENS was associated with improvements in resting pain, movement-evoked and resting fatigue, and overall fibromyalgia impact scores. - Effects are rapid, durable, and dose-dependent
Improvements emerged by 30 days, persisted through 6 months, and were greater with more consistent TENS use. - Physical therapy alone may be insufficient if not tailored
The commentary highlights minimal benefit in the PT-only group, suggesting that nonstandardized or non–fibromyalgia-specific PT may be ineffective or even counterproductive. - TENS is a safe, low-cost adjunct option
No serious adverse events were reported, supporting TENS as a practical nonpharmacologic addition within multidisciplinary fibromyalgia care.
TENS Added to Physical Therapy Lowers Fibromyalgia Pain
MDSpire News
April 3, 2026
