Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic health problem faced by 347 million people worldwide, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO) (2013) . It is predicted that more than 366 million people will be diagnosed with diabetes by 2030 (Stein, Eible, Sbruzzi, Lago, & Plentz, 2013). According to Stein et al (2013), 50% of DM cases will experience some type of neuropathy in their lifetime. “Chronic hyperglycemia is an important factor inducing nerve fiber injury” (Bulut, Ozcan, Cakan, Bektas, & Culha, 2010, p. 914). The pain caused by the injury is described as “burning, tingling, stabbing, tingling, aching, or tearing” (Wunderlich, Peters, Bosma, & Armstrong, 1998, p. 895). In diabetes, localized pain in the upper and lower extremities is referred to as painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) (Stein et al., 2013). Other names, such as painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN) and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) are also used to describe this symptom (Zelman, Brandenburg, & Gore, 2006). For continuity of this article the term PDN will be used. PDN is considered a chronic pain, and a common complaint is increased peripheral pain at night that disturbs sleep (Zelman et al., 2006). This exacerbated nighttime pain and sleep disruption can affect the overall health and quality of life of the diabetic person (Zelman et al., 2006). The aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness of continued nocturnal use of a TENS device as a supplement to pharmaceutical therapies to improve sleep quality in patients experiencing sleep disturbances due to nocturnal PDN. This study would provide an extension to current research on the use of a TENS device to manage diabetic neuropathic pain, with particular attention to improper use...... middle of paper ...... in the field in patients with diabetic neuropathy: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 2, 93-104. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-35552012005000083Touma, C., & Pannain, S. (2011). Does lack of sleep cause diabetes? Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 78(8), 549-558. http://dx.doi.org/10.3949/ccjm.78a.10165World Health Organization: Diabetes. (2013). http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/Wunderlich, R.P., Peters, E.J., Bosma, J., & Armstrong, D.G. (1998). Pathophysiology and treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities. Southern Medical Journal, 91, 894-898. Zelman, D. C., Brandenburg, N. A., & Gore, M. (2006). Sleep impairment in patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Clinical Journal of Pain, 22, 681-685. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.ajp.0000210910.49923.09