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Background and Rationale:
Peripheral Electrical Stimulation techniques are used in the treatment of acute and persistent pain conditions (1,2) but their underlying mechanisms are not well understood.
We investigated the effects of a novel peripheral electrical stimulation device (PENS: Algotec UK) on capsaicin-induced pain and hyperalgesia in healthy volunteers.
Conclusion and Significance:
Our current results suggest that peripheral subcutaneous electrical stimulation has an analgesic effect when compared to sham stimulation. Electrical stimulation that was perceived (compared to when it was not perceived) tended to reduce capsaicin induced ongoing pain. Further analyses are underway that examine how analgesic effect afforded by peripheral electrical stimulation related to subjective mood, pain-relevant personality traits and personal beliefs about the effectiveness of the stimulation.
We are conducting a further study using functional MRI to investigate the neural correlates of these processes. |
Poster IASP
