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All participants underwent the same standardized cardiac rehabilitation program. The primary outcome was pain reduction over 21 days. Secondary outcomes included analgesic use, inflammatory cytokine levels, pulmonary function, wound healing, and adverse events.\r\nResults: Interferential current stimulation significantly reduced pain scores compared to sham treatment. Analgesic use decreased more in the intervention group. A greater reduction in tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 6 levels was observed. Pulmonary function and quality of life improved in both groups without significant between-group differences. No adverse effects or wound infections occurred in the intervention group.\r\nConclusion: Serial interferential current stimulation is a safe, effective non-pharmacological therapy for reducing post-sternotomy pain and analgesic use in cardiac rehabilitation. The effect may be mediated by modulation of inflammatory cytokines.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.2340\/jrm.v57.43941","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,20]],"date-time":"2025-08-20T13:47:05Z","timestamp":1755697625000},"page":"jrm43941","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Sternal interferential current stimulation after sternotomy: A randomized, sham-controlled trial on pain and wound healing"],"prefix":"10.2340","volume":"57","author":[{"given":"Nils","family":"Schulz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gian","family":"Vo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Pascal","family":"Van Wijnen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tim","family":"Wilhelmi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Michael","family":"Coch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Uwe","family":"Lange","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Philipp","family":"Klemm","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1183","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"122107","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hota P, Dass C, Erkmen C, Donuru A, Kumaran M. 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