Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation: The effect of intensity on local and distal cutaneous blood flow and skin temperature in healthy subjects

Cramp, Fiona (Alice); McCullough, Gillian R.; Lowe, Andrea S.; Walsh, Deirdre M.

Abstract

Objective: To determine what effect transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) intensity has on local and distal cutaneous blood flow and skin temperature. Design: Double-blind conditions. Setting: University research laboratory. Participants: Forty subjects (20 men, 20 women) randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups (10 per group): control, above-motor-threshold TENS, below-motor-threshold TENS, or perception-threshold TENS. Intervention: TENS (4Hz, 200μs) was applied over the median nerve of the right forearm for 15 minutes. Main Outcome Measures: Blood flow measured by laser Doppler flowmeter and skin temperature measured by skin thermistor were recorded during TENS and for 15 minutes after it. Results: Significant differences occurred between groups for forearm (P < .0001; repeated-measures analysis of variance) but not fingertip cutaneous blood flow. Post hoc Fisher tests showed a significant increase in forearm blood flow during TENS application in the above-motor-threshold TENS group compared with the other 3 groups. No significant differences between groups for skin temperature data were observed. Conclusions: The effect of TENS on cutaneous blood flow depends on whether muscle activity is induced. Low-frequency TENS applied above the motor threshold significantly increases local cutaneous blood flow. There were no significant differences between groups for skin temperature. © 2002 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2002
• Journal: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• Print ISSN: 0003-9993
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 83
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 5-9
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1053/apmr.2002.27478
• Keywords: transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, blood flow, skin temperature
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1080362
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/apmr.2002.27478