This study aimed at evaluating how effective an interferential current is on pain reduction concerning a painful stimulus, under pressure and cold, in healthy subjects. It was applied a bipolar technique on the nerve root. Fourteen volunteers made part of this study and were divided into two groups. On the first day, one group was submitted to the interferential current, while the other did not have such procedure. In the next day, the groups were exchanged. The pain limits to pressure and to cold were evaluated by an algometer device as well as the inconvenient sensation due to Visual Analogical Scale (VAS). The interferential current was used as a form of electrical stimulation with the following parameters: 2000 Hz current base, with AMF 100 Hz, ΔF 50%, slope 1/1. The subjects were reevaluated on three occasions: immediately after stimulation; 20 minutes and one hour later it. The results of comparison among the evaluations with the pressure algometer and the unpleasant cold were not significant, both in the placebo group and stimulated one. There was a decrease on evaluations for the stimulated group concerning pain to cold. Therefore, it was concluded that there was no change in pain to pressure or inconvenient sensation to cold based on the interferential current application, with the used parameters produced, but lower pain to cold was produced.
analgesia; pain measurement; transcutaneous eletric nerve stimulation
