Non-invasive electromagnetic therapy shows promise in rapid unspecific back pain relief
Non-thermal, non-invasive electromagnetic therapy may offer significant and rapid relief to people suffering from unspecific back pain, according to a new study.
The prospective, randomized, sham-controlled trial with repeated measurements, included 61 patients aged between 18 and 80 years with unspecific back pain, excluding those with acute inflammatory diseases and specific causes.
During the study, the treatment group of 31 patients received high-energy pulsed electromagnetic fields of 1-2 pulses/s, with an intensity of 50 mT, and an electric field strength of at least 20 V/m on 3 consecutive weekdays for 10 minutes each time. The control group of 30 patients received a comparable sham therapy.
The study evaluated pain intensity, local oxyhaemoglobin saturation, heart rate, blood pressure, and perfusion index before and after the interventions. Results showed that the treatment group had a higher change in pain intensity after the first intervention (V1) compared to the control group, with comparable changes after the third intervention (V3). Additionally, the treatment group had a significant marked decrease in pain intensity compared to the control group after the third intervention.
However, there were no significant changes in local oxyhaemoglobin saturation, heart rate, blood pressure, or perfusion index between the 2 groups and for the same group before and after the interventions.
