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Review
. 2022 Feb;44(2):187-193.
doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1742290. Epub 2022 Feb 25.

Transcutaneous Nerve Electrostimulation (TENS) in Pain Relief During Labor: A Scope Review

Carla Cristina Silveira Dos Reis  1 , Leandro da Cunha Dias  1 , Lorena Bezerra Carvalho  1 , Lourivaldo Bispo Alves Junior  1 , Aline Mizusaki Imoto  1
Affiliations
Review

Transcutaneous Nerve Electrostimulation (TENS) in Pain Relief During Labor: A Scope Review

Carla Cristina Silveira Dos Reis et al. Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet. 2022 Feb.

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Objective: To map health evidence on the effectiveness of transcutaneous nerve electrostimulation (TENS) therapy in pain relief during delivery.

Methods: This is a scoping review in the PubMed, LILACS, Cochrane, VHL, PEDRO, and SciELO databases, through the descriptors electric stimulation, transcutaneous and labor, obstetric and their synonyms.

Results: A total of 263 studies were identified, of which 54 duplicates were excluded. After sorting by titles and abstracts, there were 24 articles for reading, remaining 6. The six studies evaluated the reduction of pain through the visual analogue scale (VAS).

Conclusion: The findings indicate that the use of TENS as a nonpharmacological strategy for pain relief in labor has positive results.

Objetivo: Mapear evidências em saúde sobre a eficácia da terapia por estimulação elétrica nervosa transcutânea (TENS, na sigla em inglês) no alívio da dor durante o parto. MéTODOS: Trata-se de uma revisão de escopo nas bases de dados PubMed, LILACS, Cochrane, VHL, PEDRO e SciELO, através dos descritores estimulação eléctrica, transcutânea e trabalho, obstetrícia e os seus sinônimos.

Resultados: Foram identificados 263 estudos, dos quais 54 duplicados foram excluídos. Após a classificação por títulos e resumos, 24 artigos foram selecionados para leitura, restando 6. Os seis estudos avaliaram a redução da dor através da escala visual analógica (EVA). CONCLUSãO: Os resultados indicam que a utilização de TENS como estratégia não farmacológica para o alívio da dor no parto tem resultados positivos.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart of electronic search and inclusion of articles.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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