Electrical nerve stimulation is a modality that uses electrical current delivered at various frequencies to intervene in many musculoskeletal disorders. One use for this intervention is to modulate pain. Pain is modulated through the use of electrical nerve stimulation by activating non-nociceptor sensory afferents and inhibiting T cell activation in the spinal cord. Nerve impulses are blocked and spinal gates are closed, leading to a decreased perception of pain by the cerebral cortex centers. This project is a review of the literature regarding the efficacy of electrical nerve stimulation in intervening with pain modulation. If efficacy is found, then appropriate parameters relative to the application of electrical nerve stimulation will also be investigated.
