TENS and Opioid Use After Cesarean Delivery

We propose to explore the effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) therapy in the pain management of postpartum women. A. Objectives * To determine if the addition of TENS therapy to the pain management of women post-cesarean section leads to less opioid medication use. * To evaluate the efficacy of TENS therapy as a means of alternative pain relief for women post-cesarean section with a history of opioid use. B. Hypotheses / Research Question(s) We hypothesize that patients that receive TENS therapy will report lower pain scores and request less opioid medication than the control group. We anticipate improved control in particular in the group of women with a history of opioid use. Additionally, we believe that the TENS therapy will show benefits in other postpartum outcomes including time to bowel movement, level of sedation, and time to out of bed. Overall, we anticipate that this pilot study will support the application of TENS therapy in postpartum pain management.