A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Using a Low-Frequency Magnetic Field in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Chronic Pain

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Using a Low-Frequency Magnetic Field in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Chronic Pain

Exposure to a specific pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) has been shown to produce analgesic (antinociceptive) effects in many organisms. In a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial, patients with either chronic generalized pain from fibromyalgia (FM) or chronic localized musculo...

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Main Authors: Alex W Thomas, Karissa Graham, Frank S Prato, Julia McKay, Patricia Morley Forster, Dwight E Moulin, Sesh Chari
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2007-01-01
Series:Pain Research and Management
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2007/626072
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spelling doaj-e64bdd2e421b4cedaf200e69a28c61322020-11-24T22:26:00ZengHindawi LimitedPain Research and Management1203-67652007-01-0112424925810.1155/2007/626072A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Using a Low-Frequency Magnetic Field in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Chronic PainAlex W Thomas0Karissa Graham1Frank S Prato2Julia McKay3Patricia Morley Forster4Dwight E Moulin5Sesh Chari6Bioelectromagnetics, Imaging Program, Lawson Health Research Institute, Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, Department of Nuclear Medicine, CanadaBioelectromagnetics, Imaging Program, Lawson Health Research Institute, Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, Department of Nuclear Medicine, CanadaBioelectromagnetics, Imaging Program, Lawson Health Research Institute, Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, Department of Nuclear Medicine, CanadaBioelectromagnetics, Imaging Program, Lawson Health Research Institute, Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, Department of Nuclear Medicine, CanadaDepartment of Anesthesiology, St Joseph’s Hospital, CanadaInterdisciplinary Pain Program, University of Western Ontario, London, CanadaFralex Therapeutics Inc, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaExposure to a specific pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) has been shown to produce analgesic (antinociceptive) effects in many organisms. In a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial, patients with either chronic generalized pain from fibromyalgia (FM) or chronic localized musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain were exposed to a PEMF (400 μT) through a portable device fitted to their head during twice-daily 40 min treatments over seven days. The effect of this PEMF on pain reduction was recorded using a visual analogue scale. A differential effect of PEMF over sham treatment was noticed in patients with FM, which approached statistical significance (P=0.06) despite low numbers (n=17); this effect was not evident in those without FM (P=0.93; n=15). PEMF may be a novel, safe and effective therapeutic tool for use in at least certain subsets of patients with chronic, nonmalignant pain. Clearly, however, a larger randomized, double-blind clinical trial with just FM patients is warranted.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2007/626072
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Alex W Thomas
Karissa Graham
Frank S Prato
Julia McKay
Patricia Morley Forster
Dwight E Moulin
Sesh Chari
spellingShingle Alex W Thomas
Karissa Graham
Frank S Prato
Julia McKay
Patricia Morley Forster
Dwight E Moulin
Sesh Chari
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Using a Low-Frequency Magnetic Field in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Chronic Pain
Pain Research and Management
author_facet Alex W Thomas
Karissa Graham
Frank S Prato
Julia McKay
Patricia Morley Forster
Dwight E Moulin
Sesh Chari
author_sort Alex W Thomas
title A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Using a Low-Frequency Magnetic Field in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Chronic Pain
title_short A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Using a Low-Frequency Magnetic Field in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Chronic Pain
title_full A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Using a Low-Frequency Magnetic Field in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Chronic Pain
title_fullStr A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Using a Low-Frequency Magnetic Field in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Chronic Pain
title_full_unstemmed A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Using a Low-Frequency Magnetic Field in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Chronic Pain
title_sort randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial using a low-frequency magnetic field in the treatment of musculoskeletal chronic pain
publisher Hindawi Limited
series Pain Research and Management
issn 1203-6765
publishDate 2007-01-01
description Exposure to a specific pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) has been shown to produce analgesic (antinociceptive) effects in many organisms. In a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial, patients with either chronic generalized pain from fibromyalgia (FM) or chronic localized musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain were exposed to a PEMF (400 μT) through a portable device fitted to their head during twice-daily 40 min treatments over seven days. The effect of this PEMF on pain reduction was recorded using a visual analogue scale. A differential effect of PEMF over sham treatment was noticed in patients with FM, which approached statistical significance (P=0.06) despite low numbers (n=17); this effect was not evident in those without FM (P=0.93; n=15). PEMF may be a novel, safe and effective therapeutic tool for use in at least certain subsets of patients with chronic, nonmalignant pain. Clearly, however, a larger randomized, double-blind clinical trial with just FM patients is warranted.
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2007/626072
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