Highlight
– Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation based on wrist-ankle acupuncture theory (TENS-WAA) significantly lowers pain scores during colonoscopy without anesthesia.
– Male participants showed more pronounced analgesic benefits from TENS-WAA.
– TENS-WAA treatment is associated with stable heart rates during the procedure and increased patient credibility and expectancy scores.
– No adverse effects were observed, indicating a safe noninvasive alternative for procedural analgesia.
