Persistent pain can be challenging to address. Among various non-pharmacological pain treatment strategies, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) stands out as one of the most applied modalities.
Musculoskeletal disorders are a major public health concern, significantly impacting individual quality of life and generating substantial costs for the healthcare system." (Collette et al., 2013)
Pelvic floor issues are complex and multifaceted, encompassing various clinical disorders in women such as urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, fecal incontinence, and pelvic-perineal pain.
My name is Marie-Pierre Fournier. I have been a physiotherapy therapist for eight years and have owned a clinic for almost three years.
Patients seek pelvic-perineal rehabilitation for a variety of reasons. Commonly, these include discomfort due to pelvic organ prolapse (POP), stress urinary incontinence or urgency incontinence, lower back or sacroiliac pain, or simply to regain control of the pelvic floor and ensure a gradual return to sports activities postpartum.
Pelvic pain affects more women than we might think. Its prevalence varies according to different studies and is probably underestimated. It is often associated with negative cognitive, behavioral, sexual, and emotional consequences, in addition to being linked to physical symptoms such as urinary infections and/or sexual, intestinal, pelvic floor, or gynecological dysfunctions.
Pregnancy, Childbirth, Postpartum, and Body Changes
Fibromyalgia is a condition you will occasionally come across in your clinical practice. Although it is often not the main reason for consultation, it can hinder the rehabilitation process if its impacts are trivialized when present.
Among the most challenging situations in physical therapy are cases involving sensory deficits. Therapists then strive to implement an adaptive approach that evolves as their treatment progresses. Electrotherapy using TENS is a solution worth exploring with this demographic since this technology is designed for precise adjustments based on the patient's condition.
In physical therapy, the main goals of NMES treatment are muscle strengthening, improving or maintaining joint range of motion, muscle re-education and facilitation, reducing spasticity, and functional electrical stimulation (Watson 2020). NMES is renowned for its effectiveness in treating lower limbs, especially the quadriceps, with an increasing number of patients enhancing their functional recovery by incorporating this modality into their treatment plan.