Physiotherapy
Volume 96, Issue 1 , Pages 22-29 , March 2010

Does amplitude-modulated frequency have a role in the hypoalgesic response of interferential current on pressure pain sensitivity in healthy subjects? A randomised crossover study

  • Jorge Fuentes C

      Affiliations

    • Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G4
    • Department of Physical Therapy, Catholic University of Maule, Talca, Chile
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, 3-50 Corbett Hall, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G4. Tel.: +1 780 4361012; fax: +1 780 4921626.
    • ,
  • Susan Armijo-Olivo

      Affiliations

    • Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G4
    • ,
  • David J. Magee

      Affiliations

    • Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G4
    • ,
  • Douglas Gross

      Affiliations

    • Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G4

References 

  1. Low J, Reed A. Electrical stimulation of nerve and muscle. In:  Low J,  Reed A editor. Electrotherapy explained. Principles and practice. 3rd edn.. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann; 2000;p. 43–140
  2. Nikolova L. Introduction to interferential therapy. In:  Nokolova L editors. Treatment with interferential therapy. Singapore: Churchill Livingstone; 1987;p. 3–16
  3. Palmer S, Martin D. Interferential current for pain control. In:  Kitchen S editors. Electrotherapy evidence-based practice. 11th edn.. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2002;p. 287–298
  4. Lindsay D, Dearness J, Richardson C, Chapman A, Cuskelly G. A survey of electromodality usage in private physiotherapy practices. Aust J Physiother. 1990;36:249–256
  5. Lindsay DM, Dearness J, McGinley CC. Electrotherapy usage trends in private physiotherapy practice in Alberta. Physiother Can. 1995;47:30–34
  6. Poitras S, Blais R, Swaine B, Rossignol M. Management of work-related low back pain: a population-based survey of physical therapists. Phys Ther. 2005;85:1168–1181
  7. Pope GD, Mockett SP, Wright JP. A survey of electrotherapeutic modalities: ownership and use in the NHS in England. Physiotherapy. 1995;81:82–91
  8. Robertson VJ, Spurritt D. Electrophysical agents: implications of their availability and use in undergraduate clinical placements. Physiotherapy. 1998;84:335–344
  9. Goats GC. Interferential current therapy. Br J Sports Med. 1990;24:87–92
  10. Low J, Reed A. Nerve and muscles stimulation. In:  Low J,  Reed A editor. Electrotherapy explained principles and practice. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann; 1990;p. 27–97
  11. Savage B. Interferential therapy. London: Faber & Faber; 1984;
  12. Kloth L. Electrotherapeutic alternatives for the treatment of pain. Interference current. In:  Roth G editors. Electrotherapy in rehabilitation contemporary perspective in rehabilitation.. Philadelphia: FA Davis Company; 1992;p. 202–205
  13. Watson T. The role of electrotherapy in contemporary physiotherapy practice. Man Ther. 2000;5:132–141
  14. Watson T. Current concepts in electrotherapy. Haemophilia. 2002;8:413–418
  15. Johnson MI. The mystique of interferential currents when used to manage pain. Physiotherapy. 1999;85:294–297
  16. Johnson MI, Tabasam G. An investigation into the analgesic effects of different frequencies of the amplitude-modulated wave of interferential current therapy on cold-induced pain in normal subjects. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2003;84:1387–1394
  17. Kinnunen M, Alasaarela E. Registering the response of tissues exposed to an interferential electric current stimulation. Acupunct Electrother Res. 2004;29:213–226
  18. Palmer ST, Martin DJ, Steedman WM, Ravey J. Alteration of interferential current and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation frequency: effects on nerve excitation. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1999;80:1065–1071
  19. Palmer ST, Martin DJ, Steedman WM, Ravey J. Effects of electric stimulation on C and A delta fiber-mediated thermal perception thresholds. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2004;85:119–128
  20. Johnson MI. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and TENS-like devices: do they provide pain relief?. Pain Rev. 2001;8:121–158
  21. Stevens J. Repeated measures analysis. In:  Stevens J editors. Applied multivariate statistics for the social sciences. 4th edn.. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum; 2002;p. 492–552
  22. Robertson V, Ward A, Low J, Reed A. Effects of electrical stimulation. In:  Robertson V,  Ward A,  Low J,  Reed A editor. Electrotherapy explained. Principles and practice. Edinburgh: Butterworth Heinemann Elsevier; 2006;p. 89–118
  23. Hurley DA, Minder PM, McDonough SM, Walsh DM, Moore AP, Baxter DG. Interferential therapy electrode placement technique in acute low back pain: a preliminary investigation. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2001;82:485–493
  24. Jarit GJ, Mohr KJ, Waller R, Glousman RE. The effects of home interferential therapy on post-operative pain, edema, and range of motion of the knee. Clin J Sport Med. 2003;13:16–20
  25. Minder PM, Noble JG, Alves-Guerreiro J, Hill ID, Lowe AS, Walsh DM, et al. Interferential therapy: lack of effect upon experimentally induced delayed onset muscle soreness. Clin Physiol Funct Imag. 2002;22:339–347
  26. Farasyn A, Meeusen R. Pressure pain thresholds in healthy subjects: influence of physical activity, history of lower back pain factors and the use of endermology as a placebo-like treatment. J Bodywork Movement Ther. 2003;7:53–61
  27. Farasyn A, Meeusen R. The influence of non-specific low back pain on pressure pain thresholds and disability. Eur J Pain. 2005;9:375–381
  28. Hsieh RL, Lee WC. One-shot percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation vs. transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for low back pain: comparison of therapeutic effects. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2002;81:838–843
  29. Pratzel HG. Application of pressure algometry in balneology for evaluation of physical therapeutic modalities and drug effects. J Musculoskel Pain. 1998;6:111–137
  30. Ylinen J, Takala EP, Kautiainen H, Nykanen M, Hakkinen A, Pohjolainen T, et al. Effect of long-term neck muscle training on pressure pain threshold: a randomized controlled trial. Eur J Pain. 2005;9:673–681
  31. Alves-Guerreiro J, Noble JG, Lowe AS, Walsh DM. The effect of three electrotherapeutic modalities upon peripheral nerve conduction and mechanical pain threshold. Clin Physiol. 2001;21:704–711
  32. Chesterton LS, Foster NE, Wright CC, Baxter GD, Barlas P. Effects of TENS frequency, intensity and stimulation site parameter manipulation on pressure pain thresholds in healthy human subjects. Pain. 2003;106:73–80
  33. McManus FJ, Ward AR, Robertson VJ. The analgesic effects of interferential therapy on two experimental pain models: cold and mechanically induced pain. Physiotherapy. 2006;92:95–102
  34. Kendall SA, Borgeson A, Karlsson E, Gerdle B. The effect of a session of exercise of moderate intensity level on pressure pain thresholds in healthy women. Adv Physiother. 2003;5:15–20
  35. Nussbaum EL, Downes L. Reliability of clinical pressure-pain algometric measurements obtained on consecutive days. Phys Ther. 1998;78:160–169
  36. Cathcart S, Pritchard D. Reliability of pain threshold measurement in young adults. J Headache Pain. 2006;7:21–26
  37. Prushansky T, Dvir Z, Defrin-Assa R. Reproducibility indices applied to cervical pressure pain threshold measurements in healthy subjects. Clin J Pain. 2004;20:341–347
  38. Giesbrecht RJS, Battieì MC. A comparison of pressure pain detection thresholds in people with chronic low back pain and volunteers without pain. Phys Ther. 2005;85:1085–1092
  39. Fischer AA. Pressure algometry over normal muscles. Standard values, validity and reproducibility of pressure threshold. Pain. 1987;30:115–126
  40. Fischer AA. Algometry in diagnosis of musculoskeletal pain and evaluation of treatment outcome: an update. J Musculoskel Pain. 1998;6:5–32
  41. Cheing GLY, Hui-Chan CWY. Analgesic effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and interferential currents on heat pain in healthy subjects. J Rehabil Med. 2003;35:15–19
  42. Eble OS, Jonas IE, Kappert HF. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): its short-term and long-term effects on the masticatory muscles. J Orofac Orthop [Fortschritte der Kieferorthopadie: Official journal Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Kieferorthopadie]. 2000;61:100–111
  43. Chesterton LS, Barlas P, Foster NE, Baxter GD, Wright CC. Gender differences in pressure pain threshold in healthy humans. Pain. 2003;101:259–266
  44. Hogeweg JA, Langereis MJ, Bernards ATM, Faber JAJ, Helders PJM, Algometry . Measuring pain threshold, method and characteristics in healthy subjects. Scand J Rehabil Med. 1992;24:99–103
  45. Musselman KE. Clinical significance testing in rehabilitation research: what, why, and how?. Phys Ther Rev. 2007;12:287–296
  46. Perera S, Mody SH, Woodman RC, Studenski SA. Meaningful change and responsiveness in common physical performance measures in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2006;54:743–749
  47. Fischer AA. Application of pressure algometry in manual medicine. J Man Med. 1990;5:145–150
  48. Hong CZ, Chen YC, Pon CH, Yu J. Immediate effects of various physical medicine modalities on pain threshold of an active myofascial trigger point. J Musculoskel Pain. 1993;1:37–53
  49. Potter L, McCarthy C, Oldham J. Algometer reliability in measuring pain pressure threshold over normal spinal muscles to allow quantification of anti-nociceptive treatment effects. Int J Osteopath Med. 2006;9:113–119
  50. Johnson MI, Tabasam G. A double blind placebo controlled investigation into the analgesic effects of inferential currents (IFC) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on cold-induced pain in healthy subjects. Physiother Theor Pract. 1999;15:217–233
  51. Melzack R, Wall PD. Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science. 1965;150:971–979
  52. Kloth L. Interference current. In:  Nelson R,  Currier D editor. Clinical electrotherapy. 2nd edn.. Connecticut: Appleton & Lange; 1991;p. 222–260
  53. Jorge S, Parada CA, Ferreira SH, Tambeli CH. Interferential therapy produces antinociception during application in various models of inflammatory pain. Phys Ther. 2006;86:800–808
  54. Ylinen J, Nykaìnen M, Kautiainen H, Haìkkinen A. Evaluation of repeatability of pressure algometry on the neck muscles for clinical use. Man Ther. 2007;12:192–197
  55. Roche PA, Tan HY, Stanton WR. Modification of induced ischaemic pain by placebo electrotherapy. Physiother Theor Pract. 2002;18:131–139
  56. Montgomery GH, Kirsch I. Classical conditioning and the placebo effect. Pain. 1997;72:107–113

PII: S0031-9406(09)00085-6

doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2009.06.009

Physiotherapy
Volume 96, Issue 1 , Pages 22-29 , March 2010

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution