The Current Evidence Does Not Support the Use of Electrical Stimulation to Decrease Pain and Edema and Improve Function Following a Lateral Ankle Sprain: A Critically Appraised Paper

摘要

Clinical Bottom Line: The authors determined the efficacy of including electrical stimulation in the treatment of acute lateral ankle sprains to improve function, reduce edema, or decrease pain more effectively than standard care alone, is still unclear. Although, this conclusion was based on four randomized-control trials, each study was determined to have a Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT) level of evidence of 1 and the authors determined this systematic review to have a SORT grade of an A. However, during critical appraisal, it was noted that there were several variations in techniques across the included studies and several confidence intervals crossed zero. Therefore, due to the inconsistent patient-oriented evidence, it may be more appropriate to classify the evidence from this systematic review as a SORT grade B. Further randomized-control trials are needed to make a strong and conclusive recommendation to the effects of electrical stimulation on lateral ankle sprains to improve functional outcomes.