The transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of variable frequency intensity has a longer-lasting analgesic action than the burst transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in cancer pain

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Pain is one of the most frequent symptoms in cancer, and physical therapy offers non-invasive methods such as the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for the relief of symptoms. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of the burst transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation with the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation with variable intensity frequency in cancer pain.

METHODS:

This study was conducted with 53 patients of the Hospital Erasto Gaertner, divided into two groups: burst transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and variable intensity frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. Pain assessment was performed before and right after the electroanalgesia, and at every hour until completing 6 hours.

RESULTS:

The group treated with burst transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation maintained complete analgesia for 2 hours, returning to the initial score value within 6 hours of evaluation; the group of variable intensity frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation maintained complete analgesia for 4 hours, not returning to the initial score value within the 6 hours. When comparing the intensity of the pain between the groups there was a significant difference between them (p<0.001) in all the assessments from the third hour after the electroanalgesia, showing a significant difference (p<0.001) at the 3^rd and 4^th hour after the electroanalgesia. There was no difference at the 5^th hour and at the 6^th hour.

CONCLUSION:

The variable intensity frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation provided a longer-lasting analgesia in cancer pain than the burst transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.

Keywords:
Analgesia; Cancer; Pain; Physiotherapy modalities; Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation