SUMMARYThe current investigation, for which ethical permission was obtained, was designed to assess the putative neurophysiological effects of low intensity (9 6 J/cm2) laser (830 nm) irradiation upon conduction latencies in the human median nerve in vivo. Antidromic nerve conduction studies were performed on the non-dominant arms of healthy human volunteers (n = 51), who were each assigned to one of a variety of laser, placebo or control groups under randomized, blinded conditions. Analysis of negative peak latency differences using analysis of variance showed small (-0 4 ms) but significant increases in latencies as a result of direct laser irradiation, and, where two-site recording was used, distal to the site of irradiation. No such differences were seen in the other experimental groups. These results show that laser irradiation applied to intact skin at the parameters used here may produce a direct, localized effect upon conduction in underlying nerves.
The aim of the current study, for which ethical approval was obtained, was to assess the hypoalgesic efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) upon acute stage (72 h) experimentally induced delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). TENS naive subjects (n = 48; 24 male and 24 female) were recruited, screened for relevant pathology and randomly allocated to one of four experimental groups: control, placebo, low TENS (200 microseconds; 4 Hz) or high TENS group (200 microseconds; 110 Hz). DOMS was induced in a standardised fashion in the non-dominant elbow flexors of all subjects by repeated eccentric exercise. Subjects attended on three consecutive days for treatment and measurement of elbow flexion, extension and resting angle (Universal goniometer), Mechanical Pain Threshold/tenderness (algometer) and pain (Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)) on a daily basis, plus McGill Pain Questionnaire on the third day only. Measurements were taken before and after treatment under controlled double blinded conditions. Analysis of results using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc tests showed some inconsistent isolated effects of high TENS (110 Hz) compared to the other conditions upon resting angle and flexion scores; no significant effects were found for any of the other variables. These results provide no convincing evidence for any measurable hypoalgesic effects of TENS upon DOMS-associated pain at the stimulation parameters used here.
Background: Evidence supports the use of exercise for chronic low back pain (CLBP); however, adherence is often poor due to ongoing pain. Auricular acupuncture is a form of pain relief involving the stimulation of points on the outer ear corresponding with specific body parts. It may be a useful adjunct to exercise in managing CLBP; however, there is only limited evidence to support its use with this patient group.
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