Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (tens) as a physical therapy resource for pressure ulcer healing

Introduction: Pressure ulcers occur due to friction or increased pressure in areas of the body of patients hospitalized or bedridden for a long period of time due to a process of tissue hypoxia that consequently results in tissue necrosis. The physiotherapist has the role of assisting in the healing process, through resources that accelerate tissue repair Among the physical therapy resources for the treatment of chronic wounds is the use of electrical currents such as TENS, which promotes significant improvement through the inhibition of cytokines, pro-inflammatory, promotes vasodilation by increasing perfusion in the region, reduces the infectious process, contributes to flap and graft survival. Objective: To verify the influence of the use of electric currents in the tissue repair process in wounds caused by external pressure. Material and Method: We reviewed randomized clinical trials in Pubmed/Medline, Cochrane, Science Direct and PEDro databases published from 2016 to 2022. Seven articles were considered eligible and included in the review. Results: The analysis of the studies shows that this therapy can accelerate healing by reducing the area, length, width and volume of the ulcer, promote an anti-infective and anti-inflammatory effect in patients undergoing or not a surgical procedure, stimulate the formation of granulation tissue and help in the partial or complete healing of the ulcer.