Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Transcutaneous Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Treating Varicocele-Induced Scrotal Pain
Published on: August 30, 2024
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) improves upper GI symptoms and balances the sympathovagal activity
Hanaa Sallam1, Terry A McNearney, Dipti Doshi
1Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA.
Abstract:
To assess the impact of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) at gastrointestinal (GI) acupoints on GI symptoms and quality of life in scleroderma patients, 17 patients filled out SF-36 and GI symptom questionnaires before the electrocardiogram was recorded for two intervals: baseline and TENS. At home, patients applied TENS for 14 days, then were reassessed. Acutely, TENS application significantly increased sympathetic and vagal activities vs. baseline (P=0.02 and P=0.004), respectively. Prolonged TENS application normalized the sympathovagal balance (P=0.04), decreased GI symptom scores (P=0.02) and increased the physical functioning score (SF36), which strongly correlated with the change in the sympathovagal balance (r=0.6, P=0.02). In conclusion, TENS at GI acupoints offers a potential option in the treatment of upper GI symptoms, but further study is necessary.
