Effect of Therapeutic Ultrasound Versus Low-Level Laser Therapy on Post-Operative Pain after Cesarean Section

Abstract Background: Cesarean section births are a lot more painful than vaginal births. It is normal to have extreme pain after C.S. A C-section is a major abdominal surgery, and it will take a long time to heal. Post-surgical incisional pain remains a major clinical problem because it may be associated with impaired ac-tivities of daily life. Most of the women experience severe inci-sional pain after C.S. that prevents them from sleeping at night and it makes it difficult to move or hold their babies. Sometimes this pain may cause post-natal depression and also it is a predis-posing factor for puerperium morbidity. The doctors may need to prescribe strong pain medications, but in most cases, a little of this medication passes through breast milk to the baby. So, it is necessary to find another way to relieve post-operative pain after C.S. Aim of Study: To compare between the effect of therapeutic Ultrasound and Low-level laser therapy on postoperative pain after cesarean section. Material and Methods: This study was carried out on forty women suffering from postoperative incisional pain after a ce-sarean section. They were selected randomly from the maternity ward at El-Sinbellawen General Hospital in Al Dakahlia Gov-ernorate. They were divided randomly into two groups equal in number group (A) & group (B). Group (A) was consisted of 20 patients. Each patient in this group had received Low-level LASER therapy on 6 points para-incisional (90 seconds on each point), twice daily for 7 days. Also, each patient was asked to perform Abdominal, posterior pelvic tilting, and postural cor-rection exercises for 60 minutes, twice daily for 7days. Addi-tionally, each patient was encouraged to walk for 10 minutes, twice daily for 7 days. Group (B) was consisted of 20 patients. Each patient in this group had received therapeutic ultrasound around stitches for 10 minutes twice daily for 7 days. Also, each patient was asked to perform Abdominal, Posterior pelvic tilting, and postural correction exercises for 60 minutes, twice daily for 7 days. Additionally, each patient was encouraged to walk for 10 minutes, twice daily for 7 days. All patients in both groups (A&B) were evaluated by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and measuring serum cortisol level in blood plasma before and after the end of the treatment program. Results: Both groups showed a statistically significant de-crease in both the visual analogue scale and serum cortisol level after treatment, Group (A) achieved percentage of decrease in the visual analogue scale by 81.08% and achieved percentage of decrease in serum cortisol level by 65.30% while group (B) achieved percentage of decrease in visual analogue scale by 34.72% and achieved percentage of decrease in serum corti-sol level by 20.48%. By comparing the 2 groups (A&B) it was found that the percentage of decrease in VAS and serum cortisol level in group (A) was more pronounced and more noticeable than in group (B). This means that Low-level laser therapy was more effective than therapeutic Ultrasound in decreasing post-operative pain after cesarean section. Conclusion: Low-level laser therapy was more effective than therapeutic Ultrasound in relieving post-operative pain af-ter cesarean section.