Increase in muscular pain threshold following low frequency-high intensity peripheral conditioning stimulation in humans

Abstract

The effects of low frequency-high intensity transcutaneous and intramuscular electrical nerve stimulation (TENS and IENS, respectively) on ipsilateral muscular pain threshold were studied in healthy volunteers. The combined effects of TENS (or IENS) and vibration as well as the effects of TENS applied to contralateral regions were also investigated. Muscular pain threshold was evaluated by the subjects' verbal reports in response to electrical stimulation (wire electrodes) of the vastus medialis muscle and by the appearance of blink response (startle reaction) without habituation. TENS was generally applied to the skin overlying the same muscle, and in some instances to the skin overlying the contralateral vastus medialis or triceps muscle. IENS was performed through the same electrodes used for inducing muscular pain. Vibration was applied to the tendon of ipsilateral quadriceps femoris muscle. TENS consistently induced marked and long-lasting elevations of ipsilateral muscular pain threshold. Comparable results were obtained by IENS. TENS and vibration performed simultaneously induced increases in muscular pain threshold, which were greater than those obtained with each individual conditioning stimulation. TENS proved to be capable of enhancing muscular pain threshold even when applied to contralateral regions; however, these effects were smaller and of shorter duration. The results provide evidence that low frequency- high intensity TENS (or IENS) are effective in raising muscular pain threshold and support the hypothesis that this type of stimulation brings supraspinal control systems into action through the activation of group III afferent fibres.