2.4. Study Process
Pain, pain, NRS, malignancies or infections
Written informed consent was obtained from all patients included in the study. Before the initiation of the electrotherapy sessions and recording of demographic information including age, gender, weight, height and body mass index, laboratory parameters and an X-ray of the spinal cord were examined to exclude any signs of new onset malignancies or infections in the spinal cord. Before and after the therapy sessions, actual pain in rest and under activity, as well as the maximum and minimum pain in the last four weeks were assessed using the numeric rating scale (NRS) for the cervical, dorsal, and lumbar region, respectively. The quality of pain was evaluated using the Short-form Mc Gill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ). The PainDETECT test was used to screen for radicular involvement. Range of motion (ROM) was assessed using the Cervical Range-of-Motion Instrument (CROMTherapy sessions were conducted weekly with a duration of 30 min each and six times in total. All the patients lay supine on an electrotherapy mat covering the whole spinal cord (StimaWELL