Impact of Electromagnetic Field Therapy on Pain and Function in Patients With Mechanical Back Pain

Cairo University (CU)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Mechanical Low Back Pain

Treatments: Radiation: Pulsed electromagnetic field; Other: traditional physical therapy program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06133855

HAPO-06-B-001 ECM#2023-2104;

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to investigate the impact of electromagnetic field therapy on pain severity and functional disability in mechanical back pain patients suffering from myofascial trigger points.

Full description

Lower back pain, or LBP, is a major global health issue that affects functioning, social participation, and personal financial prosperity on a variety of biophysical, psychological, and social levels. In today's industrial society, it impacts roughly 50-80% of people who are of working age. Mechanical back pain patients suffer from myofascial trigger points (MTrPs), which are classified as either active or latent. Activated MTrPs cause either sudden onset of pain or in response to movement, stretching, or compression. Latent MTrPs are typically symptom-free, but when squeezed, they can re-create pain or irritation. Muscle weakness and limited ROM are other common signs of mechanical back pain, along with local as well as referred pain that affect patients functional activities.

Recently, there has been a focus on non-pharmacotherapy for low back pain. One of them is electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) which uses electromagnetic field pulses to stimulate tissue healing without causing heat damage to the tissue. The FDA has given electromagnetic field therapy devices approval for treating post-operative pain, swelling, and osteoarthritis. Furthermore, PEMF devices are frequently used to treat bone fractures, inflammation, arthritis, pain, swelling, and chronic wounds.

Thus, the purpose of this study is to ascertain how electromagnetic field therapy affects the degree of pain and functional impairment in mechanical back pain patients suffering from myofascial trigger points.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 40 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. The patients age from 20 to 40 years for both genders.
2. Patients (office worker) with mechanical back pain for 3 months ago and has not been diagnose as a specific disease or spinal abnormality.
3. Patients suffering from active MTrPS in lower back muscles.
4. The study patients must be willing to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

1. Neurological, systemic illness and infectious diseases such as rheumatologic diseases, tumor.
2. Psychiatric/mental deficit.
3. Patients who had a previous surgical history (within 6 months) were also excluded prior to the baseline assessment.
4. Vertebral compression fracture
5. Pregnancy and lactation.
6. Existing lower limb symptoms.
7. Cardiopulmonary disorders with reduced activity tolerance. -

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

---

30 participants in 2 patient groups

Pulsed electromagnetic field

Experimental group

Description:

the patients will receive pulsed electromagnetic field plus traditional physical therapy program three times a week for four weeks

Treatment:

Other: traditional physical therapy program

Radiation: Pulsed electromagnetic field

traditional physical therapy program

Active Comparator group

Description:

the patients will receive traditional physical therapy program three times a week for four week

Treatment:

Other: traditional physical therapy program