The Application of Electrical Stimulation in Postoperative Pain Management of Thyroid Surgery

Post-thyroidectomy pain is a prevalent early postoperative complication. While pharmacological agents remain the mainstay of analgesia, their clinical application is constrained by adverse effects including nausea, respiratory depression, and gastrointestinal disturbances. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation based on wrist-ankle acupuncture theory (TENS-WAA) is a non-invasive analgesic modality that has demonstrated preliminary benefits in multiple pain scenarios. Nevertheless, robust evidence for its efficacy in post-thyroidectomy pain management is still lacking, limited by single-center designs and small sample sizes in existing studies. This trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TENS-WAA for pain control after thyroidectomy. The findings are expected to support a standardized non-pharmacological analgesic option as an adjunct to multimodal postoperative pain regimens, aligning with Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) principles.

1. Inclusion Criteria: * Be over 18 years of age; * The operation time is less than 4 hours; * Postoperative VAS pain score ≥3 points ; * Clear consciousness, able to answer questions accurately, free speech, no hearing impairment; * Informed consent 2. Exclusion Criteria: * Neck or thyroid surgery within the past ten years; * Menstruating, pregnant and lactating females;Those who are not satisfied with blood glucose control; * Skin injury or allergy; skin ulceration; * Past history of psychiatric disorder that met the diagnostic criteria of Diagnostic and Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-IV; * Upper respiratory tract infection within 2 weeks before surgery; * History of implantation of pace or defibrillator; * Allergic to gel or intolerant to electrical stimulation; * History of chronic pain, pain VAS score 1 at the examination; * Use of sedative analgesic drugs for a long time or within 24 hours; * Particip in other clinical trials in the past 4 weeks.