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Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation at Auricular Points on Experimental Cutaneous Pain Threshold

L. Noling, MS, is a physical therapist, University of Alabama Hospitals, 619 S 19th St, Birmingham, AL 35294. She was a graduate student, Division of Physical Therapy, School of Community and Allied Health, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, when this study was completed.
J. Clelland, MS, is Associate Professor and Associate Director, Division of Physical Therapy, School of Community and Allied Health, The University of Alabama at Birmingham.
J. Jackson, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Office of Educational Development, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham.
C. Knowles, MS, is Instructor, Division of Physical Therapy, School of Community and Allied Health, The University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The purposes of this study were 1) to examine the effect of high intensity, low frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation at auricular acupuncture points on experimental pain threshold measured at the wrist and 2) to determine the changes in effect over time. Forty-four healthy adult men and women were assigned randomly to one of three treatment groups. Group 1 (n = 15) received TENS to appropriate auricular points for wrist pain, Group 2 (n = 14) received TENS to inappropriate (placebo) auricular points, and Group 3 (n = 15) received no TENS. We measured experimental pain threshold at the wrist after an electrical stimulus during one pretreatment and three posttreatment time periods. Group 1 was the only group that had a statistically significant increase (p < .05) in pain threshold after testing. This increase remained significant for all posttreatment measurements for Group 1. These results suggest that high intensity, low frequency TENS applied to appropriate auricular acupuncture points can increase pain threshold.

Key Words: Acupuncture • Acupuncture/acupressure • Pain • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

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