title: An investigation into the hypoalgesic effects of transcutaneous piezoelectric current on experimentally induced thermal stimuli in healthy participants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of transcutaneous piezoelectric currents on experimentally induced thermal pain in healthy human participants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A repeated measure cross-over study recorded sensory detection and pain thresholds to contact thermal stimuli during active and placebo (no current) transcutaneous piezoelectric current in 15 pain-free healthy human volunteers. Active transcutaneous piezoelectric current (6 µA) was delivered as 35 high voltage single rectangular pulses (1 Hz) at the LI4 (Hegu) acupuncture point.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repeated measures ANOVA found that active and placebo transcutaneous piezoelectric current elevated thresholds for warm sensation, heat pain, and cold sensation. However, there were no statistically significant effects for active piezoelectric current compared with placebo for any outcome measure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reductions in experimentally induced pain were not due to piezoelectric currents per se. These findings challenge claims about the efficacy of transcutaneous piezoelectric currents for pain relief. A clinical trial is needed.
authors: Faculty of Health, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, UK.
authors: Anthony
authors: A
authors: Blenkinship
authors: Alex E
authors: AE
authors: Benham
authors: Osama
authors: O
authors: Tashani
authors: Mark I
authors: MI
authors: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003080:Cold Temperature; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D010919:Placebos; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos