Case-control study on comprehensive rehabilitation for postoperative pain after spinal surgery

Objective:To evaluate the effect of interferential electrical stimulation(IES) in pain relief after spine surgery.Methods:From January 2004 to December 2008,166 patients after spine operation received pain treatment.All the patients were divided into two groups:the drug treatment group,which was the control group,including 46 cases,22 patients were male and 24 patients were female,with an average age of(51.0±6.5) years;and the IES treatment group,including 120 cases,50 patients were male and 70 patients were female,with an average age of(48.0±5.6) years.Before treatment,there were 4 patients with pain of GradeⅢin the control group,in which 3 patients had stenosis,1 patient had spondylolisthesis;42 patients had GradeⅡpain.In the IES group before treatment,17 patients had GradeⅢpain,in which 13 patients had stenosis,4 patients had spondylolisthesis;103 patients had GradeⅡpain.The preoperative and postoperative pains were evaluated and compared by the WHO Pain Criteria.Results:The composing of IES group with pain gradeⅢ,ⅡandⅠwere 1 /96 /23,0 /17 /103,0 /0 /120 at the 3rd day,the 7th day and the 14th day after treatment respectively,while in the control group they were 4 /42 /0,2 /44 /0,0 /4 /42 respectively.There were statistical differences between the two groups with Kruskal-Wallis test.The percent of mid and severe grade pain decreased much faster in IES group.Conclusion:Interferential electrical stimulation(IES) therapy can improve patients' postoperative pain relief more quickly and reduce duration of hospitalization.