Trial reportEuropean journal of pain (London, England)2013
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and conditioned pain modulation influence the perception of pain in humans.
Trial report in European journal of pain (London, England), 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Cervical Joint Manipulation on Pressure Pain Threshold
Hypoalgesic Effects of Specific vs Non-specific Cervical Manipulation in Healthy Subjects
Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Pain and Respiratory Function Following Mastopexy With Augmentation: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 41 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of high-intensity laser therapy in the treatment of patients with frozen shoulder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Lasers in medical science · 2023Pooled it
- Randomized Pilot Study of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Neuropathic/Nociplastic Ocular Pain.American journal of ophthalmology · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Immediate effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) administered during resistance exercise on pain intensity and physical performance of healthy subjects: a randomized clinical trial.European journal of applied physiology · 2018Trial
- Trial
- Article
- Effects of Therapeutic Ultrasound and Aussie Current With High-Intensity Interval Training on Abdominal Adiposity in Young Adults With Overweight and Obesity: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2025Article
- What a Sham(e): Sham-Controlled Conditioned Pain Modulation Effects on Pressure but Not Heat Pain Thresholds in Healthy Volunteers.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2025Article
- Effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on acute postoperative breast augmentation pain: study protocol.Pain management · 2024Article
- Article
- Symptomatic but not Asymptomatic COVID-19 Impairs Conditioned Pain Modulation in Young Adults.The journal of pain · 2022Article
- Effects of Percutaneous Electrolysis on Endogenous Pain Modulation: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study Protocol.Brain sciences · 2021Article
- Remote Analgesic Effects Of Conventional Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation: A Scientific And Clinical Review With A Focus On Chronic Pain.Journal of pain research · 2019Review
- Central sensitization and changes in conditioned pain modulation in people with chronic nonspecific low back pain: a case-control study.Experimental brain research · 2015Article
- Exogenously induced brain activation regulates neuronal activity by top-down modulation: conceptualized model for electrical brain stimulation.Experimental brain research · 2015Article
- Review
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation regulates organ blood flow and apoptosis during controlled hypotension in dogs.PloS one · 2014Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundResearch in animal models suggests that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) produce analgesia via two different supraspinal pathways. No known studies have examined whether TENS and CPM applied simultaneously in human subjects will enhance the analgesic effect of either treatment alone. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether the simultaneous application of TENS and CPM will enhance the analgesic effect of that produced by either treatment alone.
methodsSixty healthy adults were randomly allocated into two groups: (1) CPM plus active TENS; (2) CPM plus placebo TENS. Pain threshold for heat (HPT) and pressure (PPT) were recorded from subject's left forearm at baseline, during CPM, during active or placebo TENS, and during CPM plus active or placebo TENS. CPM was induced by placing the subjects' contralateral arm in a hot water bath (46.5 °C) for 2 min. TENS (100 μs, 100 Hz) was applied to the forearm for 20 min at a strong but comfortable intensity.
resultsActive TENS alone increased PPT (but not HPT) more than placebo TENS alone (p = 0.011). Combining CPM and active TENS did not significantly increase PPT (p = 0.232) or HPT (p = 0.423) beyond CPM plus placebo TENS. There was a significant positive association between PPT during CPM and during active TENS (r(2) = 0.46; p = 0.003).
conclusionsTENS application increases PPT; however, combining CPM and TENS does not increase the CPM's hypoalgesic response. CPM effect on PPT is associated with the effects of TENS on PPT.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.