The effectiveness of TENS in the pain of vacuum applied in acute soft tissue trauma of the lower extremity

The Effect of TENS on Vacuum-Induced Pain in Acute Soft Tissue Trauma This study was conducted in a randomized controlled manner to evaluate the effectiveness of TENS application in pain caused by vacuum applied in acute soft tissue trauma of the lower extremity. The research was carried out in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Clinic of Çukurova University Balcalı Hospital Health Practice Research Center. In the study, a total of 40 patients were studied, 20 of which were in the control group and 20 in the experimental group. The data of the study were collected with the Patient Information Form and the VAC-Pain Evaluation Form. Conventional TENS lasting 30 minutes was applied to the experimental group patients 1 hour before VAC insertion and removal by the researcher. TENS was not applied to the control group patients. Before and after the TENS application, the pain of both groups was evaluated with the 'Numerical Pain Scale'. SPSS 23.0 package program was used in the statistical analysis of the data. In all tests applied, p<0.005 was considered statistically significant. The experimental and control groups of the patients included in the study were homogeneous in terms of demographic characteristics (p>0.05). In addition, when the pain levels of the groups were compared according to time, it was determined that the pain levels of the control group were significantly higher than the experimental group at the times of VAC insertion (T3) and VAC removal (T6) (p<0.05). Bonferonni test, one of the poshoc tests, was used to determine in-group significance in both the experimental and control groups, and it was determined that this difference was between T6 and all other times (T6-T1,T2,T3, T4,T5). The results obtained from our study showed that TENS reduced the pain caused by vacuum applied in acute soft tissue trauma of the lower extremity. It is thought that TENS may not replace traditional analgesics, but may help reduce the level of pain and contribute to healing by increasing comfort during painful procedures. Key Words: Soft tissue injury, TENS, VAC, vacuum assisted closure, pain