Pain complaint: comparison of electrical stimulation with conventional isometric exercise

The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess the pain experiences of 17 healthy subjects who trained with isometric exercise, electrical stimulation, and the combination of isometric exercise and electrical stimulation. The McGill Pain Questionnaire was administered during posttest sessions upon termination of 5 weeks of training. Results indicated that subjects who received the electrical stimulation mode of training experienced similar torque gains but less muscle soreness than those who used conventional isometric exercise. Most subjects of the exercise and electrical stimulation groups experienced pain at the medial aspect of their knee, The pain was predominantly expressed as a sensory rather than an effective or an evaluative quality. Of all the trained subjects, those who received electrical stimulation described the greatest amount of transient discomfort. Electrical stimulation does not appear to increase the risk of discomfort more than volitional resistive exercise for achieving similar force-developing capacity of muscle in healthy subjects.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1984;5(6):318-323.