Abstract
The study relates to the selection of effective clinical treatments based on the changes associated with each electrical stimulation condition. The aim was to investigate the effects of electrical stimulation on the autonomic nervous system by evaluating the heart rate variability (HRV) and pain threshold in response to different interferential current conditions applied to the sympathetic ganglia. Forty five participants were randomly assigned to receive high frequency-low intensity (HF-LI), low frequency-high intensity (LF-HI), or high frequency-high intensity (HF-HI) electrical stimulation. We then used bipolar adhesive pad electrodes to stimulate the thoracic vertebrae T1–T4 for 20 min, and changes were evaluated before, immediately after and 30 min after electrical stimulation. Results revealed significant HRV immediately after HF-LI and LF-HI electrical stimulations. This present study finding of a reduction in HRV immediately after HF-HI electrical stimulation confirms HRV measurement reliability based on electrical stimulation parameters. Results revealed a significant increase in the pain threshold with HF-HI electrical stimulation than for the other conditions; there was also a shorter pain duration. The present study also showed a significant effect of the HF-LI and LF-HI conditions on the pain threshold immediately after electrical stimulation, but the results after 30 min only revealed significant changes in the LF-HI group, indicating a maintenance of the pain control period immediately and 30 min after electrical stimulation. Different conditions of electrical stimulation resulted in distinct changes in HRV and pain control duration.
Highlights
Electrical stimulation is used in clinical practice to treat a diverse range of medical conditions, including skeletal and neurological disorders
Different conditions of electrical stimulation resulted in distinct changes in heart rate variability (HRV) and pain control duration
In order to control for factors that may influence the results, the participants were instructed to refrain from vigorous exercise that may influence their heart rate variability (HRV)
Summary
Electrical stimulation is used in clinical practice to treat a diverse range of medical conditions, including skeletal and neurological disorders. Application of electrical current to the body can activate the membrane of nerve cells, changing their metabolic activity, and increasing blood circulation [1]. Since the stimulation sensation and penetration depth may differ among electrical stimulation application methods, they must be properly controlled to prevent accommodation and to achieve an effective treatment result [2]. Electrical stimulation has a good safety profile and can be applied to control pain [3]. Pain is determined by the responses of the nociceptive system to different stimuli.
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