Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and cryotherapy in the treatment of students with primary dysmenorrhea: pilot study

Main Article Content

Ana Helena Vale de Araújo
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7298-8028
Lucas Sinesio Santos
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6836-3295
Vanessa Ariane Neves
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0147-8738
Renan Alves da Silva Júnior
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5393-3088
Gabriela Lopes Gama
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7352-6711

Abstract

Objective: To compare the effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) and cryotherapy in relieving painful symptoms in students with primary dysmenorrhea (PD). Methods: Cross-sectional and quantitative study, with 20 university women randomly divided into two groups: TENS Group (GT) whose participants were submitted to a 45 min TENS session with a frequency of 120 Hz and a pulse duration of 100 µs and Cryotherapy Group (CG), whose participants were submitted to a cryotherapy session for 20 min. Women with regular menstrual cycles, nulligravidas, without a report of pelvic disease, and with dysmenorrhea with pain levels between 4 and 10 during the first three days of menstruation were included. Those with contraindications to TENS or cryotherapy and who used drugs up to 24 h before the intervention were excluded. The participants' pain levels were recorded before and shortly after the intervention.Results: Women aged between 18 and 27 years (mean 22.8 ± 2.4 years) were evaluated. In addition to painful symptoms, all of them presented some other associated symptoms, the most common being diarrhea and fatigue (80%, each). The two-way ANOVA test of repeated measures considering group and evaluation factors revealed an effect only for the evaluation factor (p < 0.001) with no effect for the group/evaluation interaction (p = 0.09). Conclusion: TENS and cryotherapy are efficient resources for relieving pain symptoms in women with PD, with no superiority between the approaches.



Article Details

How to Cite
1.
Araújo AHV de, Santos LS, Neves VA, da Silva Júnior RA, Gama GL. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and cryotherapy in the treatment of students with primary dysmenorrhea: pilot study. HSJ [Internet]. 2020 Dec. 16 [cited 2024 Nov. 22];10(4):131-6. Available from: https://portalrcs.hcitajuba.org.br/index.php/rcsfmit_zero/article/view/1029
Section
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Author Biographies

Ana Helena Vale de Araújo, Faculdades Integradas de Patos (FIP)

Physiotherapist by the Faculdades Integradas de Patos (FIP), Patos, Paraíba, Brazil.

Lucas Sinesio Santos, UNIFACISA University Center

Physiotherapy Student at UNIFACISA University Center, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil.

Vanessa Ariane Neves, UNIFACISA University Center

Physiotherapy Student at UNIFACISA University Center, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil.

Renan Alves da Silva Júnior, Faculdades Integradas de Patos (FIP). Professor Joaquim Amorim Neto Research Institute (IPESQ)

PhD student in Maternal and Child Health at the Instituto de Medicina Integral Professor Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Full Professor of the Specialization Course in Traumato-Orthopedic and Sports Physiotherapy at Faculdades Integradas de Patos (FIP), Institute for Professional Improvement in Health (Campina Grande and João Pessoa, Paraíba) and Sertão Integration Faculty (Serra Talhada, Pernambuco) (discipline of Orthosis and Prosthesis).

Gabriela Lopes Gama, UNIFACISA University Center. Professor Joaquim Amorim Neto Research Institute (IPESQ)

PhD in Health Sciences from the Cruzeiro do Sul University (UNICSUL), with a sandwich period from the University of Maryland in Baltimore. Full professor of the Physiotherapy Course of Statistics and Electrothermal Phototherapy Disciplines, and Supervisor of the Supervised Internship in Physiotherapeutic Practice I in the Gerontology sector, Full Professor of the Physical Education course of the Kinesiology and Advanced Biomechanics Disciplines at the UNIFACISA University Center, Campina Grande , Paraíba, Brazil.

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