Personality traits in the mechanisms of interferential therapy for osteoarthritic knee pain.

Abstract The role of hypochondriacal, depressive, and hysterical personality traits in response to interferential therapy (IFT) was studied in 50 patients with chronic knee osteoarthrosis. Personality traits were assessed through the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Each patient received ten sessions of IFT during two weeks. Pain relief was assessed subjectively (with a numerical pain-relief scale) at the end of treatment and one week later in a single-blind method. Patients who experienced pain relief of 50% or more were considered responders ( n = 22). Those who experienced pain relief of 25% or less were considered nonresponders (n = 24). No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups on any of the personality traits studied. These personality traits apparently have no effect on the response of osteoarthritic knee pain to IFT.