Taverner M, Loughnan T — Transcutaneous Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment for Patients with Shoulder Pain Booked for Surgery: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial
Pain Practice, 2014
This Australian double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial is one of the strongest pieces of clinical evidence for TcPRF to date. Fifty-one patients awaiting shoulder surgery were randomized to active (80V) or sham (0V) TcPRF, delivered as a single session at six standardized electrode positions around the shoulder. Assessments were performed at 4 and 12 weeks by a blinded observer.
Key findings:
- Active treatment reduced night pain by 24 points (42%) at 4 weeks and 18 points at 12 weeks (both p<0.01); sham showed no significant change
- Pain with activity reduced by 20 points (29%) at 4 weeks and 19 points at 12 weeks in the active group (both p<0.001)
- Functional improvement confirmed across Brief Pain Inventory, Pain Self-Efficacy, and Oxford Shoulder Score measures
- At 12 weeks, 7/25 active patients declined their planned surgery vs. 2/26 in the sham group (NNT 4.4)
- No adverse events or complications in either group
Significance: A very methodologically robust TcPRF trial, demonstrating clinically relevant and sustained pain relief from a single non-invasive treatment. The surgery avoidance finding is particularly compelling, with direct implications for healthcare utilization and cost.