title: The effect of TENS on pain, function, depression, and analgesic consumption in the early postoperative period with spinal surgery patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to examine the effects of the use of     Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) in patients who had undergone     spinal surgery on pain, functionality, depression and consumption of analgesic     agents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-Four patients were randomized and placed     into two groups, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) plus TENS and only PCA. To     assess the pain levels of the patients, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used.     In the assessment of their functional levels, the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) was     utilized and in the assessment of their depression, the Beck Depression     Inventory (BDI) was used. The measurements were performed before the operation     and on the first and second postoperative days. The side effects were recorded     from the analgesic agents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the first and second days after the     operation, a decrease in the pain levels was noticed in the TENS group (p <     0.05. In the TENS group, the consumption of analgesic agents also decreased and     thus side effects were less frequent. From the viewpoint of functional and     depression levels, no significant difference between the groups was noticed (p     > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TENS was effective in reducing analgesic agent-related     side effects and in reducing analgesic consumption. In addition, TENS also     decreased activity related pain.
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylul University, School of Physical Therapy, Inciraltı, Izmir, Turkey. bparlak@deu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Bilge
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.forename: Ferdi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baskurt
authors.forename: Serap
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Acar
authors.forename: Didem
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karadibak
authors.forename: Lugen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ciftci
authors.forename: Serhat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erbayraktar
authors.forename: Ali Necati
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Gokmen
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012646:Self Administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics