Use of Heart Rate Variability and Photoplethysmograph‐Derived Parameters as Assessment Signals of Radiofrequency Therapy Efficacy for Chronic Pain

Abstract

This study showed significant efficacy of RFT in patients with chronic cervical or lumbar pain. The changes of HRV and PPG parameters may explain part of the mechanisms of RFT.

Effects of Spinal Cord Stimulation on Heart Rate Variability in Patients With Failed Back Surgery Syndrome: Comparison Between a 2-lead ECG and a Wearable Device

“…In various chronic pain disorders, a decrease in parasympathetic activation has been reported, compared to healthy controls (1). An increase in parasympathetic nervous activity may indicate pain relief (9), a finding which suggests the use of HRV as more objective measurement of pain intensity and as a possible biomarker for pain.…”

“…Therefore, diminished parasympathetic modulation is associated with chronic pain (1). Due to the coupling between systems involved in pain modulation and the autonomic control of the heart (6), HRV can serve as a physiological biomarker of reflecting pain intensity (7) and might potentially be used to evaluate treatments (8,9).…”

Effects of spinal cord stimulation on heart rate variability in patients with Failed Back Surgery Syndrome

“…HRV holds the potential to objectify pain intensity since an increase in parasympathetic nervous activity, as measured by HRV parameters, may indicate pain relief [27]. The use of HRV as a biomarker for pain relief is a promising approach as it may help overcome the problems related to subjective questionnaires for measuring pain intensity.…”

“…An increased heart rate and reduced HRV has been found in several chronic pain disorders [21–25]. Not only is HRV a plausible modality in the diagnosing process of pain, the use of HRV can also be considered as outcome parameter in measuring the therapeutic effect in chronic pain treatments [26, 27]. Often, studies with HRV describe distinct oscillations, contained in the time interval between successive heart beats, with two primary components; high and low frequency oscillations.…”

Vital signs: Valid indicators to assess pain in intensive care unit patients? An observational, descriptive study

“…unconscious and traumatic brain injury patients, pain can be assessed through an examination of the patient's vital signs (Arbour & Gélinas, 2014). Multiple studies have noted that blood pressure (BP), respiratory rate (RR), and heart rate (HR) are the most frequent physiological indicators of pain (Jafari, Courtois, Van den Bergh, Vlaeyen, & Van Diest, 2017;Middleton, 2003;Payen et al, 2001;Ye, Chuang, Tai, Lee, & Hung, 2017). Pain produces a physiological stress response that includes increased HR and BP to provide oxygen and other nutrients to vital organs (Middleton, 2003).…”