Neuromuscular Electrical Therapy in Venous Ulcers

The Effect of Neuromuscular Electrical Therapy on Pain in Patients With Venous Ulcers: a Controlled Clinical Trial

The use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in the treatment of venous ulcers with difficulty of repair could be an alternative therapeutic favoring devitalized tissues and hence the pain. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on pain and area of venous ulcers in patients with venous insufficiency.

The aim was to evaluate the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on pain and area of venous ulcers in patients with venous insufficiency. In a simple-blind controlled clinical study, 20 subjects with venous ulcers with age over 50 years will be divided in two groups:neuromuscular electrical stimulation(n=10) and control group (n=10). Pain (by Visual Analogue Scale) and the ulcer area (by planimetry on graph paper and the software ImageJ ®) were measured.

The application technique used will be bipolar, with electrodes of the type metal-tipped pen. The electrodes will be placed at the outer edges of the ulcer, on opposite sides of the same and the estimated time of 1 minute at each point. All the edge of the ulcer will be bypassed, thereby separating the injections every 1 cm, returning to the starting point at the end of the application. To ensure that the entire edge of the ulcer to receive the stimulation, the end points of the application, the application will be made for another minute sliding the pen around the whole edge. Thus the application time will be directly proportional to the ulcer area. The subjects will be received 10 applications, three times a week for a period of 4 weeks.

Inclusion Criteria: Subjects of both genders aged over 50 years sedentary and with clinical diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency with ulcer in lower limbs will be included Exclusion Criteria: Subjects with pacemakers diabetes uncontrolled hypertension osteomyelitis and pain of unknown origin unable to walk or make use of drugs that acted directly on the healing process will be excluded

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Korelo RI, Valderramas S, Ternoski B, Medeiros DS, Andres LF, Adolph SM. Microcurrent application as analgesic treatment in venous ulcers: a pilot study. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2012 Jul-Aug;20(4):753-60. doi: 10.1590/s0104-11692012000400016. English, Portuguese, Spanish.