A controlled study on the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and interferential therapy upon the RIII nociceptive and H-reflexes in humans

Objective: To study the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and interferential therapy (IFT) upon the RIII. nociceptive reflex and II-reflex. Design: Double-blind conditions. Participants: Seventy healthy subjects were randomly allocated to one of seven groups (n = 10 per group): Control, TENS 1 (5Hz), TENS 2 (100Hz), TENS 3 (200Hz), IFT 1 (5Hz), LFT 2 (100Hz), IFT 3 (200Hz). Intervention: In the treatment groups, stimulation was applied over the right sural nerve for 15 minutes. Main Outcome Measures: Ipsilateral RIII acid H-reflexes were recorded before treatment, immediately after treatment, and subsequently at 25, 35, and 45 minutes. Subjects rated the pain associated with the RIII reflex using a computerized visual analogue scale (VAS). Results: Statistical analysis using ANOVA showed no significant differences between baseline and posttreatment measurement for Rm reflex, II-reflex, or VAS data. Conclusion: These results suggest that neither type of electrical stimulation (TENS or IFT) affects the Rm or H-reflexes, at least using the parameters and application time in this study.