Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields for Postsurgical Pain Management in Women Undergoing Cesarean Section: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Trial.


Author: Khooshideh M1, Latifi Rostami SS, Sheikh M, Ghorbani Yekta B, Shahriari A.

Affiliation: 1Departments of *Obstetrics and Gynecology, Arash Women's Hospital §Anesthesiology, Roozbeh Hospital †Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences ‡Department of Physiology, Applied Physiology Research Center, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Conference/Journal: Clin J Pain
Date published: 2017 Feb
Other:
 Volume ID: 33   ,  Issue ID: 2   ,  Pages: 142-147   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000376   ,  Word Count: 153  
        OBJECTIVES:

To evaluate the efficacy of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) in relation to reducing postoperative pain, analgesic use, and wound healing in patients undergoing Cesarean section (C-section).

METHODS:

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated 72 women who underwent elective C-section. Thirty-six patients were assigned to the active-PEMF and 36 to the sham-PEMF groups. The participants were asked to report their pain intensity on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours and 2, 4, and 7 days after surgery. The amount of analgesics used was recorded. The surgical site was evaluated to assess the wound-healing process on the seventh postoperative day.

RESULTS:

Postoperative pain VAS scores were significantly lower in the active-PEMF group in all the measured periods within the early and the late postoperative periods. Fewer women in the active-PEMF group experienced severe postoperative pain within 24 hours postoperatively (36% vs. 72%, P=0.002). Analgesic use during the first 24 hours after C-section was 1.9-times lower in the active-PEMF group (1.6±0.7 vs. 3.1±1.2, P