Impact of electrical muscle stimulation-induced muscle contractions on endogenous pain modulatory system: a quantitative sensory testing evaluation
Abstract Background Exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) is characterized by a reduction in pain perception and sensitivity across both exercising and non-exercising body parts during and after a single bout of exercise. EIH is mediated through central and peripheral mechanisms; however, the specific...
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BMC
2024-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-024-08154-x |
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| author | Satoshi Ohga Takafumi Hattori Kazuhiro Shimo Hajime Maeda Takako Matsubara |
| author_facet | Satoshi Ohga Takafumi Hattori Kazuhiro Shimo Hajime Maeda Takako Matsubara |
| author_sort | Satoshi Ohga |
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| description | Abstract Background Exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) is characterized by a reduction in pain perception and sensitivity across both exercising and non-exercising body parts during and after a single bout of exercise. EIH is mediated through central and peripheral mechanisms; however, the specific effect of muscle contraction alone on EIH remains unclear. Moreover, previous studies on electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) have primarily focused on local analgesic effects, often relying on subjective pain reports. This study investigated the contribution of EMS-induced muscle contractions to systemic analgesia, independent of motor cortex activity. We aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms of EIH by analyzing the influence of skeletal muscle mass (SMM), skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), and conditioned pain modulation (CPM). Methods In this crossover study, 27 healthy young adults participated in EMS and sham interventions, separated by a washout period of 2 to 3 days. SMM, SMI, and CPM were measured before the first intervention. Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) were evaluated before and after each intervention. EMS was applied to the non-dominant quadriceps at a frequency of 30 Hz, a pulse duration of 300 μs, and a duty cycle of 5 s on and 10 s off, without inducing joint movement, for 20 min. The sham intervention used the same settings, but the stimulation amplitude was insufficient to induce muscle contraction in the quadriceps. The average current intensity was 16.0 ± 3.2 mA and 11.3 ± 2.3 mA in the EMS and sham condition, respectively. Results In the EMS condition, PPT significantly increased in the stimulated quadriceps but not in non-contracted sites. There were strong positive correlations between changes in PPT and both SMM and SMI, but not CPM. The sham condition showed no significant effects at any assessment sites. Conclusions These findings suggest that the analgesic effects of EMS-induced muscle contractions are primarily localized to the stimulated muscle tissues, rather than mediated by the central pain modulatory mechanisms. Trial registration This study was enrolled in the UMIN-CTR Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: UMIN000051951; date of approval: August 19, 2023). |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-babe581fec1b41c698627654d4dee238 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2474 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders |
| spelling | doaj-art-babe581fec1b41c698627654d4dee2382025-01-05T12:04:49ZengBMCBMC Musculoskeletal Disorders1471-24742024-12-012511710.1186/s12891-024-08154-xImpact of electrical muscle stimulation-induced muscle contractions on endogenous pain modulatory system: a quantitative sensory testing evaluationSatoshi Ohga0Takafumi Hattori1Kazuhiro Shimo2Hajime Maeda3Takako Matsubara4Faculty of Rehabilitation, Kobe Gakuin UniversityFaculty of Rehabilitation, Kobe Gakuin UniversityFaculty of Rehabilitation, Kobe Gakuin UniversityFaculty of Rehabilitation, Kobe Gakuin University Graduate SchoolFaculty of Rehabilitation, Kobe Gakuin UniversityAbstract Background Exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) is characterized by a reduction in pain perception and sensitivity across both exercising and non-exercising body parts during and after a single bout of exercise. EIH is mediated through central and peripheral mechanisms; however, the specific effect of muscle contraction alone on EIH remains unclear. Moreover, previous studies on electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) have primarily focused on local analgesic effects, often relying on subjective pain reports. This study investigated the contribution of EMS-induced muscle contractions to systemic analgesia, independent of motor cortex activity. We aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms of EIH by analyzing the influence of skeletal muscle mass (SMM), skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), and conditioned pain modulation (CPM). Methods In this crossover study, 27 healthy young adults participated in EMS and sham interventions, separated by a washout period of 2 to 3 days. SMM, SMI, and CPM were measured before the first intervention. Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) were evaluated before and after each intervention. EMS was applied to the non-dominant quadriceps at a frequency of 30 Hz, a pulse duration of 300 μs, and a duty cycle of 5 s on and 10 s off, without inducing joint movement, for 20 min. The sham intervention used the same settings, but the stimulation amplitude was insufficient to induce muscle contraction in the quadriceps. The average current intensity was 16.0 ± 3.2 mA and 11.3 ± 2.3 mA in the EMS and sham condition, respectively. Results In the EMS condition, PPT significantly increased in the stimulated quadriceps but not in non-contracted sites. There were strong positive correlations between changes in PPT and both SMM and SMI, but not CPM. The sham condition showed no significant effects at any assessment sites. Conclusions These findings suggest that the analgesic effects of EMS-induced muscle contractions are primarily localized to the stimulated muscle tissues, rather than mediated by the central pain modulatory mechanisms. Trial registration This study was enrolled in the UMIN-CTR Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: UMIN000051951; date of approval: August 19, 2023).https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-024-08154-xElectrical muscle stimulationPressure pain thresholdConditioned pain modulationSkeletal muscle massExercise-induced hypoalgesia |
| spellingShingle | Satoshi Ohga Takafumi Hattori Kazuhiro Shimo Hajime Maeda Takako Matsubara Impact of electrical muscle stimulation-induced muscle contractions on endogenous pain modulatory system: a quantitative sensory testing evaluation BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders Electrical muscle stimulation Pressure pain threshold Conditioned pain modulation Skeletal muscle mass Exercise-induced hypoalgesia |
| title | Impact of electrical muscle stimulation-induced muscle contractions on endogenous pain modulatory system: a quantitative sensory testing evaluation |
| title_full | Impact of electrical muscle stimulation-induced muscle contractions on endogenous pain modulatory system: a quantitative sensory testing evaluation |
| title_fullStr | Impact of electrical muscle stimulation-induced muscle contractions on endogenous pain modulatory system: a quantitative sensory testing evaluation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of electrical muscle stimulation-induced muscle contractions on endogenous pain modulatory system: a quantitative sensory testing evaluation |
| title_short | Impact of electrical muscle stimulation-induced muscle contractions on endogenous pain modulatory system: a quantitative sensory testing evaluation |
| title_sort | impact of electrical muscle stimulation induced muscle contractions on endogenous pain modulatory system a quantitative sensory testing evaluation |
| topic | Electrical muscle stimulation Pressure pain threshold Conditioned pain modulation Skeletal muscle mass Exercise-induced hypoalgesia |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-024-08154-x |
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