Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy for intractable childhood constipation: a clinical observational and comparative study
European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, cilt.38, sa.2, ss.132-138, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 38 Sayı: 2
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1097/meg.0000000000003039
- Dergi Adı: European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.132-138
- Anahtar Kelimeler: child, constipation, fecal incontinence, neuromodulation, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Purpose – To determine the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on children with intractable constipation and compare treatment success between TENS application twice weekly and three times weekly. Methods – We recruited otherwise healthy consecutive children aged 6–17 years old suffering from intractable constipation over a 6-month period. Anatomic causes and organic pathologies were ruled out. All children received TENS treatment for 20 min, during 4 weeks, three times a week in group 1 and twice a week in group 2 for 4 weeks. Patients were evaluated for defecation frequency, stool consistency, symptom relief, and fecal incontinence before, at the first week, at the end, and 4 weeks after treatment was discontinued. Results – Twenty patients were enrolled in group 1 and 15 in group 2. Age, gender, and duration of constipation were indifferent among groups. After treatment, there was a significant increase in the number of weekly defecations (P < 0.001), improvement in fecal incontinence (P < 0.05), and painful defecation (P < 0.001) in both groups; however, each group’s improvements did not persist 4 weeks after the treatment’s discontinuation (P > 0.05). Meanwhile, twice weekly TENS was as effective as three-times weekly TENS (P > 0.05). Conclusion – TENS treatment appears to improve weekly defecation, fecal incontinence, and pain in children with intractable constipation; however, effects are not sustained after discontinuation. The twice-weekly and three-times weekly protocols yielded comparable results; however, the study lacked sufficient power to conclusively demonstrate noninferiority.