The Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation of Sympathetic Ganglions and Acupuncture Points on Distal Blood Flow

Abstract

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a widely-practiced method to increase blood flow in clinical practice. The best location for stimulation to achieve optimal blood flow has not yet been determined. We compared the effect of TENS application at sympathetic ganglions and acupuncture points on blood flow in the foot of healthy individuals. Seventy-five healthy individuals were randomly assigned to three groups. The first group received cutaneous electrical stimulation at the thoracolumbar sympathetic ganglions. The second group received stimulation at acupuncture points. The third group received stimulation in the mid-calf area as a control group. Blood flow was recorded at time zero as baseline and every 3 minutes after baseline during stimulation, with a laser Doppler flow-meter. Individuals who received sympathetic ganglion stimulation showed significantly greater blood flow than those receiving acupuncture point stimulation or those in the control group (p<0.001). Data analysis revealed that blood flow at different times during stimulation increased significantly from time zero in each group. Therefore, the application of low-frequency TENS at the thoracolumbar sympathetic ganglions was more effective in increasing peripheral blood circulation than stimulation at acupuncture points.

Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Autonomic Nervous System of Hypertensive Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…In addition to these findings, TENS applied to the stellate ganglion can also improve tolerance during a cardiopulmonary exercise test by the increase of blood flow in peripheral muscles, probably due to the reduction of sympathetic nervous system activity and the increase of oxygen into peripheral muscles [23]. Currently, a further study has shown that the application of low frequency TENS in the ganglion region is more effective to increase vasodilation in lower limbs when compared to the application of TENS in acupunture points or with the control group, in healthy subjects, proving the change in sympathetic activity [24]. These changes in the vascular tone caused by TENS might stem from the interaction of the endothelial cell layer and physical or chemical stimuli that share a functional antagonism with the sympathetic nervous system in maintaining blood vessel tone, by the release of substances that affect the vascular tonus [25].…”

Effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on proinflammatory cytokines: protocol for systematic review

“…TENS is a strategy that allows for interaction with the peripheral vascular system [6, 7] or with the autonomic nervous system [8, 9]. Studying its systemic effects may help determine the likely effectiveness of treatment when local access is limited or may shed light on other non-analgesic strategies, such as circulatory [6, 10], wound healing [7, 11], or inflammatory approaches [9, 12, 13].…”

“…Studying its systemic effects may help determine the likely effectiveness of treatment when local access is limited or may shed light on other non-analgesic strategies, such as circulatory [6, 10], wound healing [7, 11], or inflammatory approaches [9, 12, 13]. …”

Ação da polaridade na estimulação elétrica transcutânea para o tratamento de áreas doadoras de enxertos autógenos em pacientes queimados: estudo clínico randomizado cego

“…Já estimulação elétrica nervosa transcutânea (ENT), pode ser ou não polarizada e se destaca pelo efeito analgésico, no caso da baixa frequência estimula as fibras nervosas que favorecem a liberação de opióides endógenos que inibem estímulos nocioceptores na medula espinal (Goldestein, 1976;Sabino et al, 2008;Santos et al, 2013). Também apontada como promissora na cicatrização de feridas, pela possibilidade de incremento do fluxo sanguíneo, com melhores resultados em frequências baixas (Chen et al, 2007;Machado et al, 2012;Gürgen et al, 2014;Kamali et al, 2017). O efeito inerente aos diferentes parâmetros físicos utilizados na estimulação elétrica é controverso.…”

“…venosas (Cosmo et al, 2000;Ogrin;Darzin;Khalil, 2009) e ainda em amputação de membro inferior (Finsen et al, 1988), com diferentes frequências (Machado et al, 2012) altas (Nolan et al, 1993;Wikström et al, 1999;Machado et al, 2016) e baixas (Cosmo et al, 2000;Chen et al, 2007;Gürgen et al, 2014;Kamali et al, 2017), como a utilizada no presente estudo.…”