| Summary: | Dor é sintoma comum a diversos quadros clínicos. É provavelmente a razão mais freqüente de auxílio médico. Estima-se que 10 a 20% da população adulta apresentam dor crônica, sendo que, destes, cerca de 5% apresentam pouca resposta a tratamento. A abordagem terapêutica da dor crônica de origem muscular deve ser multidisciplinar, com interrupção do ciclo de dor. Para tal, são utilizadas várias técnicas, entre elas, alongamento muscular e estimulação elétrica nervosa transcutânea (TENS). O presente trabalho de pesquisa teve como objetivo avaliar a resposta analgésica de cinco sessões de fisioterapia com alongamento e/ou TENS, em dores crônicas com origem na musculatura da coluna vertebral. Foi realizado ensaio clínico randomizado, duplo-cego, em paralelo, controlado por alongamento muscular, no Centro Corpo em Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. Foram estudados pacientes portadores de dor crônica de origem muscular, com localização na coluna vertebral. Tratava-se de pacientes adultos, com diagnóstico de dor há mais de 6 meses, feito por médico ortopedista, e que estavam iniciando tratamento fisioterapêutico entre janeiro e dezembro de 2005. Os pacientes foram alocados randomicamente em três grupos: um considerado controle e dois grupos de intervenção. O primeiro (ALONG; n=33) realizou 20 min de alongamentos musculares e 20 min de TENS-sham. O grupo intervenção 1 (TENS; n=31) realizou 20 min de falsos alongamentos musculares e 20 min de TENS acupuntural. O grupo intervenção 2 (ALONG/TENS; n=31) realizou 20 min de alongamentos musculares e 20 min de TENS acupuntural. Dos 95 pacientes estudados, 57,9% eram mulheres e 42,1%, homens, com similar distribuição nos 03 grupos (Teste qui-quadrado, P=0,622). Quanto à localização, 32,6% apresentavam dor na região cervical, 2,1% na região torácica, 49,5% em região lombar e 15,8% na região cérvico-lombar (Teste qui-quadrado, P=0,120, para comparação dos 3 grupos). A idade variou dos 19 aos 76 anos, sem diferença entre os grupos (ANOVA, P=0,456). Observou-se que, ao longo das 05 sessões, houve redução significativa dos escores de dor. Porém não foi detectada diferenças entre os regimes terapêuticos estudados. Na avaliação inicial em escala analógica visual, os grupos ALONG, TENS e ALONG/TENS apresentaram, respectivamente, escores (média + desvio padrão) de 53,85+24,18, 57,39+23,47 e 47,74+24,95 (ANOVA, P=0,288). Após 05 sessões, os valores foram, respectivamente, de 25,88+22,62, 27,48+21,47 e 20,39+20,98 (ANOVA, P<0,000 diferença significativa entre os tempos e P= 0,535 diferença não significativa entre os grupos). Na avaliação inicial em escala verbal, os grupos ALONG, TENS e ALONG/TENS apresentaram, respectivamente, escores (mediana, percentis 25% e 75%) de 4(3/4), 4(4/5) e 4(3/4) (Teste de Kruskal-Wallis, P=0,217). Após 05 sessões, os valores foram, respectivamente, de 3(1/3), 3(2/3) e 3(0/3) (Teste de Friedman P=0,000 diferença significativa ao longo do tempo). Concluiu-se que as técnicas de alongamento e TENS são capazes de reduzir significativamente dores musculares com origem na coluna vertebral. Seus efeitos são similares, sugerindo igual eficácia analgésica. === Pain is a common symptom in several situations. It is probably the most frequent reason for the search of medical care. It is estimated that ten to twenty percent of the adult population suffer from chronic pain and that five percent show little response to treatment. The clinical approach to chronic muscular pain must be multidisciplinary, trying to interrupt the pain cycle. With that in mind, many techniques are used, such as muscular stretching, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). This research project aimed to evaluate analgesic response to stretching and/or TENS in five physiotherapy sessions for chronic pain in muscles of the spinal cord. A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, stretching-controlled clinical trial was conducted at Centro Corpo in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Patients with muscular pain in the spinal cord were studied. All of them were adults, with diagnosis of pain lasting for more than six months. The diagnosis was made by an orthopedist and the patients were beginning physiotherapeutic treatment between January and December, 2005. The patients were randomly divided in three groups: one of them was the control group and the other two were the intervention groups. The first group (STRETCH, n=33) did twenty minutes of muscular stretching and twenty minutes of sham TENS. Intervention group one (TENS, n=31) did twenty minutes of ineffective stretching exercises and twenty minutes of Acupuncture TENS. Intervention group two (STRETCH/TENS, n=31) did twenty minutes of effective stretching exercises and twenty minutes of Acupuncture TENS. From the 95 patients analyzed, 57.9% were women and 42.1% were men. They were similarly distributed along the three groups (Chi-square test, P=0.622). As to the region the pain was located, 32.6% presented cervical pain, 2.1% presented thoracic pain, 49.5% had lumbar pain, and 15.8% had cervical/lumbar pain (Chi-square test, P=0.120, to compare the three groups). Age ranged from 19 to 76, with no difference among the groups (ANOVA, P=0.456). It was observed that, throughout the five sessions, there was significant reduction of pain scores. No difference was detected, though, among the therapeutic methods which were studied. In the first evaluation using the Visual Analogical Scale, the groups showed the following scores (mean ± standard deviation): STRETCH: 53.85±24.18, TENS: 57.39±23.47, and STRETCH/TENS: 47.74 ±24.95 (ANOVA, P=0.288). After five sessions, the scores were: STRETCH: 25.88±22.62, TENS: 27.48±21.47, and STRETCH/TENS: 20.39±20.98 (ANOVA, P<0.000; significant difference among the times and P=0.535; no significant difference among the groups). In the first evaluation using the Verbal Scale the groups showed the following scores (median, 25 and 75 percentiles): STRETCH: 4 (3/4), TENS: 4 (4/5), and STRETCH/TENS: 4 (3/4) (Kruskal-Wallis test, P=0.217). After five sessions, the scores were: STRETCH: 3 (1/3), TENS: 3 (2/3), and STRETCH/TENS: 3 (0/3) (Friedman test, P=0.000 significant difference over time). It is concluded that the stretching and the TENS techniques can significantly reduce muscular pain originated in the spinal cord. Their effects are similar, which suggests equal analgesic efficacy.
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