title: Duration of Analgesia Induced by Acupuncture-Like TENS on Experimental Heat Pain.
abstract: Background. Acupuncture-like TENS (AL-TENS) is a treatment modality that can be used to temporarily reduce pain. However, there is no clear data in the literature regarding the specific duration of analgesia induced by AL-TENS. Objectives. To describe and quantify the duration and magnitude of AL-TENS analgesia on experimental heat pain in healthy subjects and verify if the duration or magnitude of analgesia induced by the AL-TENS was influenced by the duration of the application of the AL-TENS (15 versus 30 minutes). Methods. A repeated-measures, intrasubject randomized experimental design was used, where each participant was his/her own control. 22 healthy volunteers underwent heat pain stimulations with a contact thermode before (pretest) and after (posttest) AL-TENS application (15 and 30 minutes). Outcome measures included subjective pain during AL-TENS, duration, and magnitude of AL-TENS-induced analgesia. Results. Survival analysis showed that the median duration of AL-TENS analgesia was 10 minutes following the application of either 15 or 30 minutes of AL-TENS. The magnitude of analgesia following either application was comparable at all points in time (P values > 0.05) and ranged between -20% and -36% pain reduction. Conclusion. Only half of the participants still had heat-pain analgesia induced by the AL-TENS at 15 minutes postapplication.
authors.affiliation: École de Réadaptation, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Pavillon Gérald-Lasalle, Z7-2011, 3001, 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1H 5N4; Centre de Recherche Clinique Etienne-LeBel du CHUS, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1H 5N4.
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1133-8707
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tousignant-Laflamme
authors.affiliation: École de Réadaptation, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Pavillon Gérald-Lasalle, Z7-2011, 3001, 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1H 5N4.
authors.forename: Marilyne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brochu
authors.affiliation: École de Réadaptation, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Pavillon Gérald-Lasalle, Z7-2011, 3001, 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1H 5N4.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dupuis-Michaud
authors.affiliation: École de Réadaptation, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Pavillon Gérald-Lasalle, Z7-2011, 3001, 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1H 5N4.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pagé
authors.affiliation: École de Réadaptation, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Pavillon Gérald-Lasalle, Z7-2011, 3001, 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1H 5N4.
authors.forename: Draga
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Popovic
authors.affiliation: École de Réadaptation, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Pavillon Gérald-Lasalle, Z7-2011, 3001, 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1H 5N4.
authors.forename: Marie-Eve
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Simard