About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can reduce perioperative pain in older adults with hip fractures. It will also evaluate its effects on physiological and psychological outcomes. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does adding TENS to usual care during the preoperative phase reduce pain intensity and analgesic consumption? Does TENS affect pressure pain threshold and vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate)?
Researchers will compare active TENS to sham TENS (no perceptible stimulation) to see if TENS is effective in reducing pain and improving related outcomes.
Participants will:
* Undergo a standardized baseline assessment, including evaluation of pain, vital signs, anxiety, discomfort, and pressure pain threshold * Complete questionnaires assessing quality of life, physical activity, depressive symptoms, anxiety, fear of falling, and pain catastrophizing * Be randomly assigned to receive either active TENS or sham TENS * Receive a single 45-minute TENS session * Have their analgesic use recorded for the 24 hours before and after the intervention.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Older adults (male and female) diagnosed with hip fracture
Age ≥ 60 years
Admitted to the hospital inpatient unit (HPS)
Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥ 20
Disqualifiers
Conditions contraindicating electrical stimulation, such as presence of a pacemaker, significant sensory loss in the lower limbs, or skin lesions at the electrode placement site
History of neurological or cognitive impairment that may interfere with understanding of the assessments
Previous treatment with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in the lower limb within the last 3 months
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Active Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
- Sham Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (Sham TENS)