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Updated: May 8, 2026

Chuzhen Therapy as a Non-Invasive Traditional Chinese Therapy for Neck Pain
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Chuzhen Therapy as a Non-Invasive Traditional Chinese Therapy for Neck Pain

Published on: June 6, 2025

Electrotherapy for neck pain.

Peter Kroeling1, Anita Gross, Nadine Graham

  • 1Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Marchionini-Str. 17, D-81377 München, Germany, D-80801.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|August 28, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Electrotherapy for neck pain shows limited evidence. Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) and repetitive magnetic stimulation (rMS) may be more effective than placebo, but overall evidence quality is low.

Area of Science:

  • Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation
  • Neurology
  • Pain Management

Background:

  • Neck pain is a prevalent and disabling condition with significant healthcare costs.
  • The efficacy of electrotherapy as a treatment for neck pain remains uncertain.
  • This review is an update of previous Cochrane reviews on electrotherapy for neck pain.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the short, intermediate, and long-term effects of electrotherapy on pain, function, disability, and quality of life in adults with neck pain.
  • To assess electrotherapy's impact on patient satisfaction and global perceived effect.
  • To evaluate electrotherapy for neck pain with or without radiculopathy or cervicogenic headache.

Main Methods:

  • Searched multiple databases (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, etc.) up to August 2012.

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  • Included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating electrotherapy as a primary unimodal treatment for neck pain.
  • Excluded quasi-RCTs and controlled clinical trials; assessed evidence quality using an adapted GRADE approach.

    • Main Results:

    • Twenty small trials (1239 participants) were included, with analysis limited by varied trial quality and heterogeneity.
    • Very low-quality evidence suggests pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) and repetitive magnetic stimulation (rMS) may be more effective than placebo for pain reduction.
    • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) showed inconsistent results; other modalities like galvanic current, iontophoresis, and electric muscle stimulation (EMS) were not more effective than placebo. Low-quality evidence found permanent magnets ineffective.
    • No clinically important effects on function or global perceived effect were found. No adverse side effects were reported.

    Conclusions:

    • Definitive conclusions on the efficacy and clinical usefulness of electrotherapy for neck pain cannot be made due to low or very low-quality evidence.
    • Current evidence suggests PEMF, rMS, and TENS might be more effective than placebo, but further research is needed.
    • Evidence comparing electrotherapy to other interventions is of very low quality, precluding recommendations. Funding bias, particularly in PEMF studies, should be considered. Future trials require larger samples and precise standardization.