About this trial
This clinical study is designed to evaluate whether Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is an effective, non-drug method to relieve postpartum uterine pain during breastfeeding in multiparous women (women who have given birth multiple times). Breastfeeding in the first 48 hours after delivery often triggers strong, painful uterine contractions due to the natural release of oxytocin. While standard care typically relies on pain-relief medications, this study investigates if TENS, a safe, low-cost device that sends gentle electrical impulses through small skin patches, can significantly reduce this pain and decrease the need for systemic medications. Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive standard postpartum pain medications or use a TENS device during two consecutive breastfeeding sessions. Researchers will measure and compare the peak pain levels between both groups using a standard 0 to 10 pain scale. The aim is examining whether TENS will significantly reduce postpartum uterine pain during breastfeeding and decrease medication use compared with standard care.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Maternal Age above 18
Term delivery (37 weeks or more)
Vaginal delivery within the past 48 hours.
Multiparous women (2 or more previous births)
Disqualifiers
Contraindication to TENS (pacemaker, epilepsy, active infection, uncontrolled hyper / hypotension.)
Chronic analgesia use
Severe complications requiring intervention (severe PPH) or intensive care
Skin lesions, infections, or scars at proposed electrode sites
Trial design
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
DeviceBilateral application of four skin electrodes using conductive gel. Two electrodes will be placed on the lower abdomen over the uterus, and two will be placed in parallel in the S2-S4 sacral region. The digital sensory-motor TENS device will be programmed to generate 80-Hz current and 200 msec pulse for 40 min, using 20-40 mA of intensity. Stimulation begins a few minutes before breastfeeding and continues throughout the 40-minute session.
Treatment groups
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
Peak VAS pain score during breastfeeding in the second session
The maximum VAS score recorded will be compared between groups. Postpartum uterine pain during breastfeeding will be evaluated using a standard Visual Analog Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain).
Secondary outcomes
Consumption of Pharmacological Analgesics
Total dosage (mg) of pain relief medications consumed by the participant within the first 48 hours postpartum.
Peak VAS pain score during breastfeeding in the second compared with the first sessions.
The maximum VAS score in the first and second session will be recorded and compared within the same group. Postpartum uterine pain during breastfeeding will be evaluated using a standard Visual Analog Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain).
Duration of breastfeeding sessions.
The time, in minutes, that the woman is able to continue breastfeeding.
Adverse effects related to TENS use
Local adverse effects related to TENS in the intervention group.
Sponsors and contacts
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