Neuromuscular Electrical Therapy in Venous Ulcers

The Effect of Neuromuscular Electrical Therapy on Pain in Patients With Venous Ulcers: a Controlled Clinical Trial

The use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in the treatment of venous ulcers with difficulty of repair could be an alternative therapeutic favoring devitalized tissues and hence the pain.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on pain and area of venous ulcers in patients with venous insufficiency.

The aim was to evaluate the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on pain and area of venous ulcers in patients with venous insufficiency. In a simple-blind controlled clinical study, 20 subjects with venous ulcers with age over 50 years will be divided in two groups:neuromuscular electrical stimulation(n=10) and control group (n=10). Pain (by Visual Analogue Scale) and the ulcer area (by planimetry on graph paper and the software ImageJ ®) were measured.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subjects of both genders
• aged over 50 years
• sedentary and with clinical diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency with ulcer in lower limbs will be included

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects with pacemakers
• diabetes
• uncontrolled hypertension
• osteomyelitis and pain of unknown origin
• unable to walk or make use of drugs that acted directly on the healing process will be excluded