OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on pain in patients who underwent cesarean surgery. METHOD: A sample of 30 female volunteers aged between 16 and 35 years old was recruited. All were in the immediate postoperative period following cesarean surgery, presenting abdominal and lower-womb pain. They were divided into two groups of 15 women (A and B). Group A was treated with electrostimulation and Group B received placebo treatment. The hospital's drug administration routine was not altered and remained similar in the two groups. Conventional TENS current (F= 100Hz and T= 50mus) with an asymmetrical bipolar pulse was applied through four siliconized and carbonized rubber electrodes, using gel and adhesive tape to attach these electrodes around the incision. The application was bipolar, using two pairs of crossed electrodes, at a high sensory level for 50 minutes, after interrupting the effect of the anesthesia. A visual analog scale was used for quantifying pain intensity before and after electrostimulation. For the data analysis, Student's t test for paired samples was utilized with a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between the pain intensities before and after TENS application, for the individuals in group A alone. CONCLUSION: For the experimental conditions in this study, it can be concluded that TENS application may constitute an additional resource for use on women who have undergone cesarean surgery.
TENS; electrostimulation; cesarean
