Peripheral nerve stimulation in the management of dysmenorrhea

J B Walker, Judith Boas Walker, R L Katz, Ronald L. Katz
Pain · 1981 · vol. 11(3) , pp. 355–361 · doi:10.1016/0304-3959(81)90635-7 · PMID:6977125 · W2119769772
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

Electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves provides analgesia for dysmenorrhea, with permanent relief observed after repeated treatments and in long-term follow-up studies.

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Abstract

Electrical stimulation of radial, median, and saphenous nerves produces analgesia in patients with dysmenorrhea, whereas control stimulation in adjacent points does not. Pain relief is not reversed by naloxone, and patients experience permanent analgesia after 10 consecutive daily treatments. A follow-up of patients treated for surgically documented gynecological pain due to endometriosis shows them to be pain-free 5 years after cessation of treatment, as measured by verbal report, attendance at work, and analgesic abstinence. To our knowledge this represents the first such long-term follow-up in the clinical pain literature, and suggests that peripheral nerve stimulation may be useful in the treatment of dysmenorrhea.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004412mesh:D004715endometriosisdysmenorrhea

MeSH descriptors

Analgesia Dysmenorrhea Electric Stimulation Therapy Peripheral Nerves Analgesia Dysmenorrhea Dysmenorrhea Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Follow-Up Studies Humans Naloxone Naloxone Peripheral Nerves

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References (23)

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