• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 1999

This study was designed to evaluate anxiety & depression symptoms and pressure pain threshold in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder(n=23) and to find out the relationship between the affective symptoms and the pressure pain threshold scores. And this was compared with healthy control subjects(n=18). The scores of pressure pain threshold were checked with algometer. The results were as follows : PTSD patients showed higher scores of anxiety & depression symptoms than that of the control group. In contrast with our hypothesis, pressure pain threshold in PTSD patients presented statistically significant higher scores than that of the control group. These results may be derived from following factors. First, chronic depression has influenced the pain perception of patients with PTSD rather than anxiety symptoms, second, abnormal state of the opiate system in PTSD patients, third, the sick role of the PTSD patients, fourth, the socio-environmental factor of the PTSD patients. In conclusion, affective symptoms, especially depression, were related to the chronic pain in patients with PTSD, however, the causality of elevated pressure pain threshold was uncertain in this study. To understand more clearly the relation between affective symptoms and chronic pain, it will be necessary to control the other specific factors.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.533-543
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• 2000

This study was designed to evaluate the analgesic effect of low power GaAsAl laser on the pain threshold of mechanical stimulation using different treatment points, acupuncture point (zusanli) and non-acupuncture points(back). Furthermore, we investigated the analgesic effect of low power GaAsAl laser using the different duration and intensity of laser in mechanical stimulation induced pain behavior. The results were summarized as follows: 1. The threshold of mechanical stimulation was significantly increased by GaAsAl laser stimulation into zusanli point after 15 and 30 min after laser stimulation(P<05). However, the laser stimulation into non-acupoint did not affect the pain threshold of mechanical stimulation. with dose dependent manner. 2. In order to investigate the analgesic effects of BV depending upon different intensities of laser stimulation, the experimental animals were divided into three groups: 3 mW treated group, 6 mW treated group and 10 mW treated group. The low power GaAsAl laser stimulation was applied into zusanli acupoint for 30 min with different intensity of laser stimulation. Six and ten mW of laser stimulation significantly increased the pain threshold of mechanical stimulation at 15 min after laser stimulation as compared to that of control group(P<.05). Moreover, the analgesic effect of 10 mW laser stimulation was maintained for 30 min after laser stimulation (P<.05). 3. Finally, we tested the analgesic effect of 10 mW laser stimulation using different duration such as 10 min, 30 min or 1 hr after application of mechanical stimulation. In 30 min treatment group, the pain threshold of mechanical stimulation was increased at 15min and 30min after laser stimulation(P<.05). However, laser stimulation for 60 min dramatically increased the pain threshold of mechanical stimulation at 0 min after laser stimulation and the analgesic effect of laser stimulation was observed until 1 hr after laser stimulation. In conclusion, these data apparently demonstrate that low power GaAsAl laser has analgesic effect on mechanical induced pain model in rats. In addition, the treated point, intensity and duration of laser stimulation should be concerned before clinical application for pain management purpose.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.379-385
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was to determine the immediate effects of pulsed magnetic field (PMF) in subjects with upper trapezius (UT) trigger point (TrP). Methods: Fifteen subjects with UT TrP were recruited for the study's PMF group (pain threshold=$2.29kg/cm^2$), and 15 age-, weight-, and gender-matched subjects with UT TrP were recruited for control group (pain threshold=$2.25kg/cm^2$). Pressure algometer was used to measure pressure pain threshold on UT TrP and, cervical range of motion (ROM) inclinometer was used to measure cervical ROM. Surface electromyography was used to record UT, lower trapezius, and serratus anterior muscle activity and relative ratio during scapular plane abduction between pre- and post-treatment. Results: The PMF effectively improved pain threshold and concurrently increased ROM (rotation to the painful side, lateral flexion to the nonpainful side). In addition, the PMF may effectively deactivate UT activity during abduction and the muscle activity ratio between UT and serratus anterior. Conclusion: These findings provided empirical evidence that PMF can be an effective treatment method to reduce pain threshold, to increase cervical ROM, and deactivate UT activity in individuals with TrP.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.243-250
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• 2012

Trigeminal nerve injuries due to invasive dental procedures such as implant surgery and extraction is one of the most serious issues in dentistry and may provoke medico-legal problems. Thus, for objective and reliable assessment of nerve injury, a need of QST (quantitative sensory testing) is emphasized and thermal threshold test is an essential part of QST, reported to have acceptable reliability in the orofacial region. This pilot study aimed to evaluate thermal thresholds for limited cases of trigeminal nerve injures. The study investigated 18 clinical cases with trigeminal nerve injuries who visited Department of Oral Medicine, Dankook Univeristy Dental Hospital during the period from May 2011 to Oct 2012. Thermal thresholds was measured by Thermal Sensory Analyzer, TSA-II (Medoc, Israel). Their CDT(cold detection threshold) was significantly decreased in the affected sides compared to the unaffected sides. Other parameters such as WDT(warm detection threshold), CPT(cold pain threshold) and HPT(heat pain threshold) did not show statistical difference between the affected and unaffected sides. Further researches are required to compare thermal thresholds relative to types of nerve deficits such as thermal hyper- or hypoesthesia and hyper- or hypoalgesia for larger sample.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the low-intensity ultrasound (noblelife) treatment on the pain points of upper trapezius muscle. The study recruited 20 patients who had trigger points in one side of the upper trapezius. The effectiveness of the low-intensity ultrasound treatment was assessed with subjective pain intensity using visual analog scale (VAS) and pressure pain threshold (PPT). The PPT was measured by pressure threshold algometer. Before and after the treatment, changes of pain were evaluated. Wilcoxon test for VAS data and paired t-test for PPT data were used for statistical significance. Compared to the pain intensity before the treatment, the pain intensity after treatment was significantly decreased (p<.05). Low-intensity ultrasound could be safely used in clinical application and at home for the treatment of patients with pain in upper trapezius muscle.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of iontophoresis on transdermal delivery of procaine hydrochloride in healthy volunteers, as well as to the synergic effect of high voltage current or ultrasound on the efficacy of transdermal delivery of iontophoresis. Forty healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to four groups topical application group (TA), iontophoresis group (IT), pre-treatment of high voltage current stimulation with iontophoresis (HVS + IT), and pre-treatment of ultrasound application with iontophoresis (US + IT). All subjects received procaine iontophoresis on the forearm using direct current with 4 mA f3r 15 minutes. All subject was measured the duration of local anesthesia, pressure pain threshold, pain perception threshold using rectangular wave at 0.2 ms, 1 ms, 50 ms of rectangular current stimulation after procaine iontophoresis. For comparisons of the sensory characteristics and efficacy of iontophoresis between the groups, an one-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis were used. The significant difference the duration of local anesthesia were found between the groups (p<0.001). The local anesthetic duration of IT, HVS+IT were significantly longer than TA. Meanwhile, the local anesthetic duration of US+IT was significantly longer than HVS+IT, IT and TA group (p<0.05). Also, the pressure pain threshold, pain perception threshold at 0.2 ms, 1 ms, 50 ms were significant difference between the groups (p<0.001). All sensory characteristics including pressure pain threshold, pain perception threshold of IT, HVS+IT was significantly increased than TA, whereas, US+1T was significantly increased HVS+1T, IT and TA (p<0.05). This study showed that the procaine iontophoresis have increase the duration of local anesthesia concomitantly pressure pain threshold and pain perception threshold of sensory nerve fibers such as $A-{\beta}$, $A-{\delta}$ and C fiber. This findings suggest that the iontophoresis enhanced the transdermal delivery of drug ions in vivo. The combination of ultrasound application and iontophoresis synergized the transdermal delivery of drug ions. It is suggests that an electric field, mechanical and heating property of ultrasound may contribute to synergic effect due to temporary changes of structure in the stratum corneum.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.219-225
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• 2007

This investigation was carried out to evaluate the effect of pain control temporomandibular disorders with clinical application of capsaicin cream. 20 healthy subjects without systemic diseases were measured in current perception threshold and pain tolerance threshold with $Neurometer^{(R)}$ CPT/C (Neurotron, Inc. Baltimore, Maryland, USA) after cold pack, 0.025% capsaicin and 0.075% capsaicin cream application. The obtained results were as follows : 1. The current perception threshold of C-fiber was significantly higher to the baseline on. There were significantly increased in C- fiber current perception threshold of 0.025% capsaicin cream and 0.075% capsaicin cream application comparison to cold pack. 2. There was significantly increased in pain tolerance threshold of cold pack and 0.075% capsaicin application comparison to one of baseline as $A{\beta}$-fiber, There was significantly higher after cold pack and 0.025% capsaicin cream application than baseline as $A{\delta}$-fiber. In C-fiber case, 0.025% capsaicin application's was significantly increased than baseline one. 3.There were significantly higher C-fiber of 0.075% capsaicin application than baseline in visual analogue scale marking pain level of pain tolerance threshold.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.77-87
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• 2002

Like acupuncture, magnetic therapy has been known to yield effectiveness when it is applied to relieve from fatigue, musculoskelectal diseases, sore sites, rheumatic arthritis and chronic pain syndromes. However, combined application of acupuncture and magnet has not yet been studied. This study is designed to investigate effectiveness of acupuncture therapy when in the magnetic field for the pain relief. Magnetic field was made by magnetic ring ($7{\psi}{\times}2.3{\psi}{\times}1.5mm$). Twenty-one male swimmers with latent muscular pain at the GB21 area in the university course of physical education in Daegu were chosen and divided into three groups; 1) acupuncture treatment group (n=7), 2) acupuncture treatment with iron ring group (n=7), 3) acupuncture treatment with magnetic ring group (n=7). Manual Acupuncture was given to the GB21 point for 20 minutes. The degree of pressure pain threshold (PPT, $kg/cm^2$) in GB21 was measured with algometer. Before acupuncture treatment, the PPT values were $6.08{\pm}1.69$, $6.39{\pm}1.72$ and $5.59{\pm}1.11$ in acupuncture treatment group, acupuncture treatment with iron ring group, acupuncture treatment with magnetic ring group, respectively. After acupuncture treatment, the PPT values were $6.48{\pm}2.33$, $6.31{\pm}1.31$ and $6.59{\pm}1.80$, respectively. Pressure threshold was significantly increased in the acupuncture treatment with magnetic ring group compared to the other groups. Based on these results, acupuncture treatment with magnetic ring produced better effects on pain threshold, and these effects can be considered to be associated with the currents or voltages induced by the acupuncture needle and magnetic ring at present.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.83-90
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• 2005

Objective : This study was performed to compare needle acupuncture combined herbal acupuncture therapy with only needle acupuncture therapy in VAS and pain threshold. Methods : We used pressure algometer to evaluate the change of pain threshold before and after treatment. The numberical value of pressure algometer is obtained twice and averaged by identical acupuncturist. Visual analogue scale(VAS) was used to estimate the efficacy of needle acupuncture combined herbal acupuncture therapy. Result : The following results were obtained; 1. The significant difference in VAS was showed before and after treatment in only needle acupuncture therapy. 2. The significant difference in pain threshold and VAS was showed before and after treatment in needle acupuncture combined herbal acupuncture therapy. 3. In the pain threshold, the significant difference between only needle acupuncture and needle acupuncture combined herbal acupuncture therapy was not showed. 4. Needle acupuncture combined herbal acupuncture therapy showed the more effective change of VAS than only needle acupuncture therapy. Conclusions : In the pain control, needle acupuncture combined herbal acupuncture therapy is more effective than only needle acupuncture therapy.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.25-34
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• 2012

Objectives : This study was conducted to investigate the effects of fixed-intensity and varied-intensity electroacupuncture in pain and sensory threshold concerning parameters visual analogue scale(VAS), brief pain inventory(BPI) and quantitative sensory testing(QST), among chronic tension headache patients. Methods : Thirty patients with chronic tension headache were randomly assigned to three groups and received different kinds of electroacupuncture at $ST_{36}$ and $ST_{37}$. Group A received fixed-intensity electroacupuncture(fixed-EA), group B received varied-intensity electroacupuncture (varied-EA), and group C received only acupuncture treatment without electrical stimulation as a control group. The intervention was given three times per week, and continued in two weeks. All the experiments were conducted blindly. Results : Fixed-EA group showed a significant decrease of VAS and BPI compared to the baseline measurement, while both varied-EA and control group did not. Of the parameters of QST, subtraction of heat pain threshold(HPT) and cold pain threshold(CPT) slightly increased in all groups, but this was not significant. Conclusions : These results suggest that fixed-EA reduce pain and improve quality of life in patients with chronic tension headache and that acupuncture may regulate patient's pain sensitivity through changing sensory threshold.