Analysis of high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation-induced sensory threshold from the elderly people for healthy life

Abstract

It is generally known that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) decreases the threshold of pain and release of catecholamine by mechanical and chemical stimulation. However, there have been no studies to find the change in the sensory threshold and time-dependent stimulus by TENS on the body regions. The present study was to examine the difference of sensory threshold by electrical stimulation at low back and scapulodorsal and knee joint regions in the elderly people. The sensory threshold was significantly increased in the lower back compared with the shoulder and knee joint regions. The sensory threshold tended to increase in the older age group, increasing particularly in subjects in their 80s. The change of the sensory threshold was significantly associated with a time-dependent manner, increasing after stimulation from 5, 10, and 15 min compared with 0 min for all ages. Furthermore, the sensory threshold in response to the application of TENS revealed a time-dependent response, with the sensory threshold tending to increase with age, in particular, in the lower back region. Therefore, these results at least partially suggest that the change of sensory threshold is associated with age, and that needed of the development of senile specialized physical therapy for healthy life.