The effects of two different electrical stimulation methods on the pain intensity of the patients who had undergone abdominal surgery with a midline incision: Randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Aims-Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) on pain and analgesic drug consumption in patients who had undergone abdominal surgery. Background: Evidence for the effects of and TAES on pain and analgesic consumption on patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Design: This research was conducted as a randomized controlled trial. Methods: This research sample consisted of 48 patients who underwent abdominal surgery with a midline incision. The patients were randomized into three groups, the first intervention group, which used TENS, the second intervention group, which used TAES (ST25, P6, ST36, LI4) and the control group, which did not. Results: Pain scores and analgesic consumption of both intervention groups were significantly lower than the control group. Conclusion: The research's findings reveal that the two electrical stimulation methods have similar effects on pain scores and analgesic consumption in patients.