ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate the analgesic efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on vertebral metastatic bone pain of breast cancer patients and its impact on analgesic consumption.
METHODS:
A single case experimental design was used where three females aged between 40 and 60 years were selected. Design was A1-B-A2-C-A3-D-A4, where in phase A participants received no intervention, in phase B they received high frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, in phase C low frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and in phase D, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation turned off - placebo. Each baseline phase lasted 7 days (A: no intervention) and phases B, C and D lasted 10 days (with intervention). Analgesic consumption and pain were evaluated with the visual analog scale. Data were analyzed with Mann-Whitney test to compare analgesic consumption. For visual analog scale analysis, split-middle line and binomial tests were used to verify difference between baseline and intervention phases, considering significant p<0.05.
RESULTS:
There has been significant analgesic consumption decrease in 66.6% of volunteers after high frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and in 33.3% after low frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. Pain intensity by the visual analog scale was decreased in 100% of volunteers receiving low frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, in 33.3% of those receiving high frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and in 33.3% of those receiving transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation turned off (placebo), between interventions and their respective previous baselines. In 66.6% of participants there has been significant difference of high frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation compared to their posterior baselines, as well as in 33.3% when comparing transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation turned off (placebo) and their respective posterior baseline.
CONCLUSION:
Results suggest that both high and low frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulations may contribute as adjuvant in controlling metastatic vertebral bone pain and decreasing analgesic consumption in breast cancer patients.
Keywords:
Breast cancer; Electric therapy; High and low frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation; Metastasis
