Elsevier

The Journal of Pain

Volume 14, Issue 11, November 2013, Pages 1416-1424
The Journal of Pain

Original Report
TENS Attenuates Repetition-Induced Summation of Activity-Related Pain Following Experimentally Induced Muscle Soreness

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2013.07.019Get rights and content
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Abstract

This study sought to determine whether repetition-induced summation of activity-related pain (RISP) could be demonstrated in healthy individuals in response to experimentally induced musculoskeletal pain. This study also assessed the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on RISP. The relation between the index of RISP and psychological factors such as catastrophizing and fear of pain was also explored. The sample consisted of 56 healthy (35 women, 21 men) participants who underwent 2 testing sessions, separated by 24 hours. In the first session, musculoskeletal pain was induced with a delayed-onset muscle soreness protocol. During the second session, participants were randomly assigned to the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or placebo condition and were asked to rate their pain as they lifted a series of 18 weighted canisters. An index of RISP was derived as the change in pain ratings across repeated lifts. Approximately 25% of participants showed evidence of RISP. Results also revealed that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation attenuated the RISP effect. Psychological measures (fear of pain, catastrophizing) were not significantly correlated with the index of RISP, but the index of RISP was significantly correlated with a measure of physical tolerance. Discussion addresses the clinical implications of the findings as well as the potential mechanisms underlying RISP.

Perspective

This study showed that RISP could be demonstrated in healthy individuals in response to experimentally induced musculoskeletal pain with delayed-onset muscle soreness. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation led to a significant reduction in RISP.

Key words

Evoked pain
activity-related pain
pain summation
delayed-onset muscle soreness
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

Cited by (0)

This research was supported by grants from the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), the Fonds de recherche santé Québec (FRSQ), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

The authors have no conflicts of interest with this study.