The Effect of TENS on Pain and Analgesic Consumption

Overview

The surgical treatment of an individual with osteoarthritis and hip fracture is provided by hip replacement surgery. While restructuring the joint surfaces with surgery, it is aimed to provide both hip joint movements and to treat pain. Intense perioperative pain after hip replacement is common due to inflammatory agents and surgical intervention (eg, involvement of soft tissue and sensory nerves). Inadequately treated acute postoperative pain causes longer hospital stay, limited and delayed bed rest, decreased compliance with physical therapy, and an increased incidence of postoperative complications. It is thought that this method, which can be effective in the pain control of the patient, will be beneficial for the patient both physiologically and psychologically by reducing pain and discomfort. The most important advantage of TENS; It can be easily applied by nurses and easily taught to patients or families. The nurse has a great role in the follow-up of the patient after the surgery, as she/ he is with the patient for 24 hours. When the literature is examined, it is seen that the number of studies showing the effectiveness of TENS application in patients who underwent hip prosthesis, where studies were conducted with patients with knee gonarthrosis, is limited. In this direction, the aim of the study is to examine the effect of TENS application on patients' pain level and analgesic use in patients undergoing hip replacement.

Intense perioperative pain after hip replacement is common due to inflammatory agents and surgical intervention (eg, involvement of soft tissue and sensory nerves). Inadequately treated acute postoperative pain causes longer hospital stay, limited and delayed bed rest, decreased compliance with physical therapy, and an increased incidence of postoperative complications. Postoperative pain can be treated with narcotics, which is usually accompanied by adverse side effects such as nausea, vomiting, delirium, constipation and gastrointestinal dysfunction. In general, narcotic use should be limited, especially in the elderly, due to the higher incidence of these side effects in this population. However, poor pain management in the elderly not only hinders rehabilitation, but may also lead to other adverse consequences such as tachycardia, increased myocardial oxygen demand, cardiac ischemia and higher risk of post-operative delirium. Therefore, it is recommended to use non-pharmacological methods as well as pharmacological methods to manage postoperative pain. In the TENS technique, which is one of the non-pharmacological methods used in pain management, a controlled and low-voltage electric current is applied to the nervous system through the skin, and it is seen that the method is used as an effective and non-invasive treatment option in many painful conditions such as neuropathic pain, pain due to osteoarthritis, and post-operative pain. It is thought that this method, which can be effective in the pain control of the patient, will be beneficial for the patient both physiologically and psychologically by reducing pain and discomfort. The most important advantage of TENS; It can be easily applied by nurses and easily taught to patients or families. The nurse has a great role in the follow-up of the patient after the surgery, as she is with the patient for 24 hours. Considering the nursing studies conducted abroad on the application of TENS, it is seen that the nurses apply TENS as a non-pharmacological method in the treatment of pain and train the patients on the application of TENS at home.