Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation: a modern method of pain relief in labor

Gracheva M.I., Gracheva T.I., Domanskaya M.A., Kozyrko E.V., Ushakova I.A., Nikolaeva A.V., Kan N.E., Apolikhina I.A.

1) Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Centre for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow, Russia; 2) I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow, Russia

There is a growing need for alternative methods of pain relief in labor. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) attracts attention due to its non-invasive nature, ease of use, absence of side effects and safety for the fetus.  
Objective. To assess the effectiveness of TENS as a method of pain relief in labor compared with epidural anesthesia, and the level of satisfaction among women in labor with the applied method. 
Materials and methods. The study included 50 healthy women in labor. Group I (n=25) used TENS for pain relief during spontaneous labor, and group II (n=25) used epidural anesthesia. This paper also analyses the results of clinical studies on the use of this method in obstetrics, based on data from Russian and international literature.
Results. The pain intensity in group I decreased from 7.2 to 5.2 on the VAS score (from severe to moderate) 30 minutes after the start of pain relief, and to 3.2 (mild pain) after one hour. Pain relief occurred more rapidly in group II: the pain was completely relieved (0 scores) after just 30 minutes. In an anonymous survey of women in labor using TENS, 38.2% were ‘very satisfied’ and 54.2% were ‘satisfied’. Most women (70.2%) in group I would recommend TENS for pain relief in labor. The analysis of secondary outcomes revealed no significant differences between the groups (groups I and II). There was no negative effect of TENS on the duration of labor, the frequency of surgical interventions or the Apgar score of newborns. It was concluded that the use of TENS is appropriate as a safe and effective non-pharmacological method of pain relief during labor, particularly for patients with contraindications to epidural anesthesia.
Conclusion. The comparative analysis of the effectiveness of TENS and epidural anesthesia in women in labor showed that TENS provides clinically significant pain relief during labor, without affecting obstetric and perinatal outcomes. Validation of the proposed method for pain relief in labor, following a large-scale clinical trial, will enable it to be used in future as a standard protocol in various maternity hospitals and practices.

Authors’ contributions. Gracheva M.I., Gracheva T.I. – developing the concept and design of the study; Domanskaya M.A., Kozyrko E.V. – collecting and processing the data, statistical analysis, writing the text; Ushakova I.A., Nikolaeva A.V., Kan N.E., Apolikhina I.A. – editing the article.
Conflicts of interest. The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
Funding. This study was carried out without any sponsorship.
Ethical Approval. The study was approved by the local ethics committee of the Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Centre for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia.
Generative Artificial Intelligence. No generative artificial intelligence technologies were used in preparing this article.
Patient Consent for Publication. The patients signed informed consent for the publication of their data.
Authors’ Data Sharing Statement. The data supporting the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author after approval from the principal investigator.
For citation: Gracheva M.I., Gracheva T.I., Domanskaya M.A., Kozyrko E.V., Ushakova I.A., Nikolaeva A.V., 
Kan N.E., Apolikhina I.A. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation: a modern method of pain relief in labor.
Akusherstvo i Ginekologiya/Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2026; (7): 153-158 (in Russian)
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2026.178

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About the Authors

Maria I. Gracheva, PhD, Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia, 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str., 4, +7(910)444-88-49, grachevamar@icloud.com, https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0652-5630
Tatyana I. Gracheva, Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Deputy Head of the 1st Maternity Department for Clinical Work, Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str., 4, +7(916)638-93-57,
dr.gracheva@rambler.ru, https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8364-2837
Maria A. Domanskaya, Clinical Resident, Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia, 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str., 4, +7(918)944-47-49, mdomanskaya@yandex.ru, https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8882-5603
Elena V. Kozyrko, PhD, Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology,
Ministry of Health of Russia, 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str., 4, +7(985)976-72-62, e_kozyrko@oparina4.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3987-9396
Inna A. Ushakova, PhD, Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Head of the 2nd Maternity Department, Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia, 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str., 4, malinka1326@gmail.com, https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4939-1079
Anastasia V. Nikolaeva, PhD, Chief Physician, Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology, Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia, 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str., 4, a_nikolaeva@oparina4.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9813-2823
Natalya E. Kan, Dr. Med. Sci., Professor, Deputy Director for Research, Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia, 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str., 4, kan-med@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5087-5946
Inna A. Apolikhina, Dr. Med. Sci., Professor, Head of the Department of Aesthetic Gynecology and Rehabilitation, Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia, 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparin str., 4; Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Perinatology and Reproductology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University), i_apolikhina@oparina4.ru,
SPIN: 6282-7435, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4581-6295
Corresponding author: Maria I. Gracheva, grachevamar@icloud.com