High Frequency RF Current Effects on Muscle Pain and Function

The purpose of this study is to examine the acute and chronic effects of high-frequency electrical current transfer (TECAR) on pain and functional movement in individuals with musculoskeletal injuries. The project is conducted in two phases to distinguish between immediate and long-term therapeutic outcomes. In the first phase, the acute effects of a single 20-minute TECAR session (Capacitive mode, 0.5 MHz, 40-60% intensity) are compared to transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS, asymmetric biphasic mode, 80Hz) and a control group in participants with acute hamstring strain or acute low back pain, defined as episodes occurring for less than half the days in the past six months with a visual analogue pain intensity \> 6/10. Outcome measures are obtained at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 24 and 48 hours. In the chronic phase, participants with hamstring injuries or chronic low back pain receive 10 sessions (3 times per week) while outcome measurements are obtained before, immediately after, and at 3 and 6 months follow-up. Statistical analysis involves a Mixed-Model Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to evaluate group-by-time interactions for outcomes including the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and flexibility measures. For significant results, Tukey's post-hoc tests are utilized for pairwise comparisons. Additionally, non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman tests are used to analyze percentage changes in clinical scores. Treatment effect sizes are quantified using partial eta squared with the level of significance set at p \< 0.05.