Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Herbs-Partitioned Moxibustion on the Navel in a Rat Model of Primary Dysmenorrhea with Cold Coagulation and Blood Stasis
Published on: October 4, 2024
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in the relief of primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and
Evelin de Oliveira Wulf1, Maria Rita Brandão1, Mariana Olher Goveia1
1Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná - UNIOESTE, Cascavel, Brazil.
Objective:
To synthesize evidence on TENS efficacy for primary dysmenorrhea, providing quantitative meta-analysis of pain intensity, exploratory subgroup analyses on electrode placement, and systematic RoB 2 assessment, addressing gaps from previous qualitative reviews.
Method:
Systematic search across PubMed, VHL, Web of Science, Embase, LILACS, PEDro, and gray literature, without restrictions. RoB 2 was applied independently by two reviewers. Primary outcome: pain intensity. Meta-analysis used RevMan 5.4.1.
Results:
Eight studies included from 1,018 records. TENS significantly reduced pain (SMD = -1.85; 95% CI -2.90 to -0.79; p < 0.001), with high heterogeneity (I2 = 94%). Subgroup analyses showed significant effects regardless of application site. .
Conclusion:
This meta-analysis quantifies TENS analgesic effect for primary dysmenorrhea, suggesting pain reduction irrespective of electrode placement. However, very high heterogeneity, moderate-to-high risk of bias, wide parameter variability, small samples, and imprecise subgroup estimates limit certainty. TENS appears safe (no serious adverse events), but underreporting prevents firm conclusions. Standardized protocols and high-quality, low-bias trials are needed. Certainty is likely low per GRADE considerations.
Protocol Registration:
www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero identifier is CRD42024540314.