• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2004

This study was conducted to assess the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS) and interferential current(IFC) in the patients with myofascial pain syndrome(MPS) on upper trapezius. Twenty patients with MPS on upper trapezius was assigned randomly to TENS group(n=10), IFC group(n=10). In TENS group, TENS was applied to the trigger point. In IFC group, IFC was applied to the trigger point. Duration of treatment was 2 weeks. Effects were assessed before treatment, post treatment by visual analogue scale(VAS), and pain rating score(PRS). Significant change of VAS was noticed in TENS group and IFC group. Significant change of PRS was noticed in TENS group and IFC group. IFC groups were significantly higher than TENS group that of the VAS and PRS. These result showed that IFC is effective treatment method for pain control in patients with MPS.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.43-52
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• 2017

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the impact of exercise with that of functional electrical stimulation (FES) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on muscle tone, calf muscle stiffness, and balance ability in patients with stroke. METHODS: Thirty patients with stroke were randomly divided into an FES group (n=15) and a TENS group (n=15), and a progressive task-oriented exercise was assigned to them. These exercises were performed non-synchronously from December 5, 2016 to January 31, 2017. Patients underwent TENS and simultaneously exercised for 30 minutes daily, 5 times a week for 4 weeks. To determine the effect of the interventions, muscle tone and stiffness of the medial and lateral region of gastrocnemius muscle were measured using the MyotonPRO instrument and balance was assessed using the Berg Balance Scale. RESULTS: Both groups revealed a significant decrease in muscle tone and stiffness of the medial part of gastrocnemius muscle before and after the interventions (p<.05). Berg Balance Scale scores increased significantly (p<.05). However, none of the other parameters were significantly different (p>.05). CONCLUSION: Our results prove that progressive task-oriented exercise along with FES and TENS decreases muscle tone and stiffness of the gastrocnemius muscle in patients with stroke and improves balance. TENS could serve as a complementary replacement for functional electrical stimulation for in-house training, as TENS poses less risk of muscle fatigue and has lesser contraindications than does functional electrical stimulation.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 1997

The purposes of this study were 1) to determine the changes between pre-treatment and post-treatment of four groups of 15 persons each and 2) to compare the effect of conventional transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS) and laser at auricular acupuncture points on experimental pain threshold measured at the wrist. Sixty healthy adult men and women(M:32, F:28), aged 20 to 28 years, were assigned randomly to one of four groups. Group 1 received TENS to the appropriate auricular point for wrist pain, Group 2 received laser to the appropriate auricular point for wrist pain, Group 3 received placebo TENS to the appropriate auricular point for wrist pain, Group 4 received no treatment and served as controls. Experimental pain threshold at the wrist was determined with a painful electrical stimulus before and 20 minutes after ear stimulation. Group 1 was the only group that showed a stastically significant increase (p<0.05) in pain threshold after treatment whereas the Group 2,3 and 4 did not. These results suggest that TENS has the capability to higher pain threshold but laser does not.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.187-195
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS) and electroacupuncture(EA) after sciatic nerve crush injury in rats. Subjects were classified TENS group with TENS application, EA group with EA application and Control group which is not applicated electrical stimulation. TENS and EA stimulations were applied post-injury day(PD) 1 to 14 after sciatic nerve injury. This study observed c-fos expression in rat lumbar spinal cord. In addition, the paw withdrawal latency(PWL) and sciatic function index(SFI) were measured. The results were as follows: At PD 1, control group had higher c-fos immunoreactivity than experimental groups. At PD 7 and 14, control group had higher c-fos immunoreactivity than experimental groups. The PWL of experimental groups were significantly lower than control group. The SFI had not significant difference in all groups. But the average of experimental groups were higher than control group. These results suggest that TENS and EA applications increasing sensory and motor nerve recovery while decreasing c-fos immunoreactivity after sciatic nerve crush injury.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of two different forms of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS) and one of microcurrent high voltage pulsed galvanic current(HVPC) on sympathetic tone in healthy subjects. Fourty subjects received TENS(20) and PVPC(30) during short time(20min). Left finger tip skin temperatures were measured at four interval for each treatment : 1) before treatment, 2) after 10 minutes treatment, 3)after 20 minutes treatment, and 4) after 10 minutes rest. The results were as follows. 1) TENS treatment group increased skin temperature after treatment 20 minutes, but HVPC treatment increased akin temperature after 10 minutes and recovered normal skin temperature after 10 minutes treatment. It means that short time(20min) electrical stimulation decreased sympathetic activities. 2) Sympathetic activities of TENS stimulation were influenced by age, but HVPC were not. 3) During 10 minutes, both treatment increased sympathetic activities, but HVPC treatment reversed sympathetic activity more rapidly than TENS. 4) The changes of skin temperature means by sex, males in TENS treatment group were higher than females, but HVPC were reverted.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.70-83
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS) on delayed onset muscle soreness(DOMS). Twenty males performed eccentric exercise of the elbow flexor. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 1) a group ($n_1$=7) that received low frequency TENS (7 Hz), 2) a group ($n_2$=7) that received high frequency TENS (500 Hz), 3) a control group ($n_3$=6) that received no treatment. DOMS was induced in a standardised fashion in the non-dominant elbow flexor of all subjects by repeated eccentric exercise. Treatments were applied immediately following exercise and again at 24 hours and at 48 hours after. Subjects attended on three consecutive days for treatment and measurement of elbow flexion, extension and resting angle(universal goniometer), and pain(Visual Analogue Scale; VAS) on a daily basis. Measurements were taken after treatment. Analysis of results using repeated measures analysis of variance(ANOVA) and post hoc tests were as follows: 1) there were between groups differences in pain value at 48 hours after (p<0.05), 2) one-way ANOVA with repeated measurement for pain, resting angle, flexion angle and extension angle revealed significant differences within low frequency TENS group, 3) one-way ANOVA with repeated measurement for flexion angle revealed significant difference within high frequency TENS group.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.53-59
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was designed to compare the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and silver spike point (SSP) therapy on current perception threshold (CPT) and mechanical pain threshold (MPT). Methods: Forty-five healthy adult male and female subjects were studied. Fourteen of them were males and twenty-one were females. Subject were randomly assigned to receive; (1) TENS (80/120 Hz alternating frequency), (2) SSP (3 Hz), or (3) no treatment (control group). Electric stimulation was applied over LI4 and LI11 on acupuncture points of the left forearm for 30 minutes. CPT and MPT were recorded before and after electrical stimulation. The data were analyzed using linear mixed models, with group treated as a between subject factor and time a within-subject factor. Results: At 30 minutes after cessation of electrical stimulation the CPT of C fibers and A${\delta}$fibers was reduced in the TENS group that of C fibers was reduced in the SSP group (p<0.05). After cessation of electrical stimulation, the MPT of C fibers and A${\delta}$fibers increased in the TENS group, and that of A${\delta}$fibers increased in the SSP group (p<0.05). Conclusion: After TENS and SSP stimulation, MPT of C fibers and A${\delta}$fibers were selectively increased. In particular, the TENS group showed increases in both C and A${\delta}$fibers, while the SSP group showed increases only in A${\delta}$fibers.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.59-64
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• 2017

Objective: Elderly people with dementia experience not only cognitive dysfunction but also motor function deficits, such as balance and gait impairments. Recently, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been used to reduce pain as well as to control muscle spasm, spasticity and motor performance in various types of subjects. The purpose of this study determined the effect of a single trial TENS on balance and gait function in elderly people with dementia. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: Twenty-two subjects with dementia were assigned to the TENS group (n=12) and ten subjects were assigned to the control group (n=10) randomly. Subjects were classified into two groups: the TENS group (n=12) and the placebo-TENS group (n=10). The TENS group had electrical stimulation applied on the calf muscle for 15 minutes, while the placebo-TENS group had not received real electrical stimulation. The timed up and go test (TUG) and functional reach test (FRT) were used to measure the balance function, and the 10 meters walk test (MWT) and 6MWT were used to assess gait ability. All tests were performed before and after intervention under a single-blinded condition. Results: After intervention, there were significant improvements in TUG, FRT, 10MWT, and 6MWT results in the TENS group (p<0.05), while the placebo-TENS group did not show significant changes in all outcome measurements. There were also differences in all tests between the two groups at post-measurements (p<0.05). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that a single trial TENS application on the calf may be used to improve balance and gait function in elderly people with dementia.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.422-428
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• 2012

The present study purposed to examine the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, self-stretching and functional massage on the recovery of muscle contraction force for muscle fatigue caused by sustained isotonic contraction. The subjects of this study were 45 healthy students. They were divided into transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation group(n=15), self-stretching group(n=15) and functional massage group(n=15), and using Primus RS. We observed the pattern of changes in maximal voluntary isometric contraction force(MVIC) after causing muscle fatigue in quadriceps femoris muscle through sustained isotonic contraction. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction force(MVIC) were greatly increased after transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, self-stretching and functional massage. In the comparison of recovery rate of muscle contraction force for muscle fatigue caused by sustained isotonic contraction among the treatment groups, it did not show any significant differences. However, it showed that each treatment may be effective in recovery of muscle fatigue caused by sustained isotonic contraction.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.89-94
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• 2002

Prostaglandins are generated through two isoforms of the enzyme cyclooxygenase, constitutively expressed cyclooxygenase(COX)-1 and COX-2, which is induced at sites of inflammation. Inhibition of COX-2 is desirable as this may avoid side effects seen with NSAIDs. We examined the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and cold therapy on the levels of muscle cycloooxygenase-2 mRNA in rats of carrageenan-induced inflammatory. The method of behavioral assessment were paw withdrawal latency(PWL) and tail flick test(TFT). The COX-2 mRNA levels were quantified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Following the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and cold therapy, PWL and TFT were increased and COX-2 mRNA expression in gastrocnemius muscles were decreased. These results suggest that a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and cold therapy were good therapy for a muscle pain.