Experimental pain and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation at high frequency.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) at high frequency and high intensity caused human pain threshold elevation for thermal stimuli only when thermal stimuli were applied at a site distal to the TENS electrodes. High-frequency TENS applied over the belly of m. biceps brachii did not cause a marked misestimation of elbow angle at any of the TENS intensities used. It is concluded that pain threshold elevation during high-frequency TENS is due to peripheral electrogenic blockade or fatigue of pain-mediating fibers. A minor effect of TENS on kinesthesia suggests a minor role of muscle afferents in mediating the effects of high-frequency TENS.
D000328:Adult; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007699:Kinesthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009433:Neural Inhibition; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D013697:Thermosensing