Transcutaneous Posterior Tibial Nerve Stimulation: An Adjuvant Treatment for Intractable Constipation in Children.

Background: Functional constipation can lead to painful defecations, fecal incontinence, and abdominal pain, significantly affecting a child's quality of life. Treatment options include non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches, but some cases are intractable and require alternative interventions like neuromodulation. A subtype of neuromodulation, called Transcutaneous Posterior Tibial Nerve Stimulation (TPTNS), comprises electrical stimulation at the ankle level, by means of electrodes fixed to the skin.

Transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation in children and adolescents with functional constipation: A protocol for an interventional study.

Introduction: A vast majority of children with functional constipation respond to the standard medical treatment. However, a subset of patients may present with an unsatisfactory response and only minor improvement of symptoms. Transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) involves electrical stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve at the level of the ankle, transcutaneously through electrodes fixated on the overlying skin.