Hypoalgesic Effect of Electrical Current and Cervical Manipulation

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Cervical Joint Manipulation on Pressure Pain Threshold

This study evaluates the hypoalgesic effect of the TENS application associated with joint manipulation of the cervical region in healthy individuals. One group had both active treatments, the other group received both placebo treatments, the third and fourth group received only one of the two treatments actively and the other placebo

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) and Cervical Joint Manipulation (CJM) are often used for pain treatment.

TENS also promotes analgesia by activating a descending pathway, which originates in the periaqueductal grey (PAG) and in the rostroventromedial medulla (RVM) to inhibit the excitability of nociceptive neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.

Joint manipulation generates a series of stimuli within the central nervous system through the activation of proprioceptors located in the joint capsule or muscles, stimulates the PAG, causing pain inhibition by activation of non-opioid descending inhibitory pathways

Inclusion Criteria:

• healthy subjects
• no pain complaints from the last 90 days

Exclusion Criteria:

• previous spinal surgeries
• spinal canal stenosis
• vertebral fracture
• spondylolisthesis
• cancer
• acute infections
• hemorrhagic disorders
• active tuberculosis
• deep vein thrombosis
• osteoporosis
• diseases rheumatic
• diseases metabolic
• cardiorespiratory diseases
• headache in the last seven days
• smoking
• changes in skin sensitivity
• use of pacemaker
• women in menstrual period
• pregnant women
• use of pain-killers in the last 48 hours
• use of anti-inflammatory drugs in the last 48 hours
• previous electrostimulation
• previous cervical joint manipulation treatments
• hypersensitivity to TENS application
• aversion to cervical joint manipulation
• positive test for vertebral artery.