Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for treatment of primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - PubMed
5 days ago
- #primary dysmenorrhea
- #pain management
- #TENS
- Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) affects 50% to 90% of menstruating individuals, causing painful cramps and systemic symptoms.
- Current treatments like NSAIDs and hormonal contraceptives may have limited efficacy or side effects.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a noninvasive option for pain relief in PD.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 RCTs with 779 patients evaluated TENS efficacy and safety.
- TENS significantly reduced Visual Analog Scale scores (MD: -1.97, P = .0009) and prolonged pain relief.
- TENS also reduced ibuprofen usage (MD: -1.29, P = .04) and alleviated abdominal, back, and thigh pain.
- No significant difference was found in Brief Pain Inventory scores (MD: 0.01, P = .95).
- Conclusion: TENS is effective for PD, reducing pain and NSAID use, but further research is needed on pain-related disability.