Effects of Personal Low-Frequency Stimulation Device on Myalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Pain Management
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Electrotherapy, particularly low-frequency stimulation (LFS), is a common non-invasive method for alleviating myalgia.
• Limited evidence exists on the efficacy of personal low-frequency stimulation (PLS) devices for home use in pain management.
• No studies have directly compared PLS with conventional physical therapy (PT) for myalgia relief.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the pain alleviation effects of PLS in patients experiencing myalgia.
• To compare the efficacy of PLS with conventional PT, including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and ultrasound.

Main Methods:

• 39 patients with myalgia were randomly assigned to either a PLS group (n=20) or a PT group (n=19).
• Both groups received 3 weeks of treatment (20 min/session, 5 sessions/week).
• Pain intensity was assessed using surface electromyography (sEMG), visual analogue scale (VAS), and the short-form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ) pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• The PLS group demonstrated a tendency towards muscle relaxation with significant sEMG decrease in neck, shoulder, and back areas.
• Both groups showed significant VAS score reductions post-treatment, with no significant difference between groups.
• The PLS group reported greater pain alleviation on the SF-MPQ compared to the PT group.

Conclusions:

• PLS treatment using a home device shows potential for effective myalgia pain alleviation, comparable to conventional PT.
• PLS may offer a beneficial, accessible option for patients managing myalgia.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to confirm the long-term effectiveness of PLS devices.