Abstract
[Purpose] To investigate the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on the pain and numbness experienced by a patient with spinal cord infarction. [Subjects and Methods] The subject was a single case exhibiting neuropathic pain due to spinal infarction after posterior spinal artery infarction. Electrodes were placed over dermatomes in the L3 and L5 regions, and TENS was delivered using a frequency modulated, 50-μs, symmetric, biphasic pulse at a perceived intensity for 30 min a day, at 3-day intervals. [Result] After the first treatment, pain and numbness in the L3 and L5 regions were alleviated; however, after the second and third treatments no immediate or lasting effects were observed. [Conclusion] Although TENS has an immediate effect, there is a possibility that it elicits abnormal neural excitation after treatment.
