[Modulation of experimental dental pain in man with acupuncture and by transcutaneous electric stimulation]

We have studied the effects of electrical acupuncture stimulation and transcutaneous electrical stimulation on the ability of human volunteers to perceive pain. Both psychophysical indices and measures of cerebral evoked responses to painful stimuli have been used to demonstrate that these treatments reduce pain perception. A recently completed study showed that the analgesic effects of transcutaneous electrical stimulation can be partly reversed when 0,4 mg of naloxone is injected. This observation suggests that endogenic morphine-like peptides are released in response to low frequency electrical stimulation of the skin.