These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Electromyographic (EMG) feedback in chronic musculoskeletal pain: a controlled trial.
    Author: Large RG, Lamb AM.
    Journal: Pain; 1983 Oct; 17(2):167-177. PubMed ID: 6359018.
    Abstract:
    The literature regarding the application of EMG feedback training in musculoskeletal pain disorders is reviewed. A within-subject control trial of EMG feedback using a counterbalanced design in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain is reported here. Eighteen subjects (12 females and 6 males) were studied in terms of subjective reports of pain and EMG activity measurement under standardised conditions. Both EMG feedback and a control condition were active in reducing subjective pain levels, which increased during a waiting list conditions in certain sequences. EMG activity declined during both EMG feedback and control conditions but only EMG feedback resulted in an orderly reduction in EMG baseline measurements with a highly significant linear trend when presented before the control condition in sequence. A significant correlation between subjective pain levels and surface EMG activity was found. These data suggest that EMG feedback is superior to a control condition in training muscle relaxation but not in reducing subjective pain levels despite a high correlation between these two parameters. Non-specific factors may well affect pain scores and further research is required before the specific biofeedback training effect can be accepted as superior to its non-specific effects in reducing subjective pain.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]