Review Article
Year: 2017 | Month: July | Volume: 7 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 336-339
Role of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) In Management of Post –Operative Pain (Thoracotomy)
Veena Kiran Nambiar
Associate Professor, Department of Physiotherapy, Ramaiah Medical College and Hospitals, Bangalore, India.
ABSTRACT
Pain has been identified as one of the major concerns in patients after thoracic surgery. It could be arising immediately post operative or as a late onset complication. The reasons immediate post thoracotomy could be attributed to the incision ,use of chest tubes and the inflammatory process, where as the late onset pain which is usually after about 6 months is neuropathic in nature. There is a dearth and inconclusive literature on effective pain management approach using TENS (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation).Therefore this review aims at evaluating the application of TENS from the existing literature and practice guidelines to formulate a clinical pathway guideline towards treatment of post operative thoracotomy pain.
Key words: Pain, Thoracotomy, High TENS, Low TENS