Definition
The delivery of acupuncture-like TENS is to generate activity in small-diameter group III muscle afferents, leading to the release of opioid peptides in a similar manner to that suggested for acupuncture. TENS is administered using low-frequency train (1–4 Hz) bursts (5–8 pulses at 100 Hz) at a high, but non-painful, intensity to stimulate selectively large-diameter muscle afferents. This results in a “strong but comfortable” muscle twitch that elicits group III muscle afferent activity. The stimulation should go on for 30 min to provide temporary analgesia for 3–6 h. At variance with classical acupuncture, there is no long-term effect.
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© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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(2013). Acupuncture-Like TENS. In: Gebhart, G.F., Schmidt, R.F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28753-4_200033
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28753-4_200033
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-28752-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-28753-4
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