• Jing-Jhao Ye, Chiung-Cheng Chuang, Yu-Ting Tai, Kuan-Ting Lee, and Kuo-Sheng Hung.
• Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung Li, Taiwan.
• Pain Pract. 2017 Sep 1; 17 (7): 879-885.

BackgroundRadiofrequency therapy (RFT) generates molecular motion and produces heat and electromagnetic effects on tissues, which attenuate pain sensation and thereby relieve pain. This study was to observe the altering trend of physiological parameters after RFT for chronic cervical or lumbar pain.MethodsThis study recruited 66 patients with chronic cervical or lumbar pain and recorded their physiological parameters before and after RFT using heart rate variability (HRV) and photoplethysmography (PPG) to explore the feasibility of RFT efficacy assessment.ResultsThe patients' visual analog scale scores significantly decreased after RFT and the HRV parameters that represented parasympathetic activity significantly changed (HR decreased, and R-R interval and low- and high-frequency power increased significantly). Meanwhile, the PPG parameters that represented sympathetic activity also increased (PPG amplitude and autonomic nervous system state significantly decreased).ConclusionsThis study showed significant efficacy of RFT in patients with chronic cervical or lumbar pain. The changes of HRV and PPG parameters may explain part of the mechanisms of RFT.© 2016 World Institute of Pain.

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