Physical Medicine, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
Int J Rheum Dis. 2012 Oct;15(5):e101-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1756-185X.2012.01745.x.
This randomized clinical trial was designed to evaluate the effect of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) in the management of patients with discogenic lumbar radiculopathy.
Forty patients suffering from lumbar radiculopathy due to lumbar disc prolapse were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a study group that included 20 patients who received PEMF therapy and a control group that included 20 patients who received placebo treatment. Both groups were evaluated at bases line and after 3 weeks by using a visual analogue scale (VAS) (0-10), somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) for selected dermatomes and Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (OSW), and findings were compared before and after treatment.
Significant differences were observed between both groups before and after application of PEMF therapy relative to VAS (P=0.024), total OSW (P<0.001), and other domains of OSW score (pain intensity [P=0.009], personal care [P=0.01], lifting [P<0.001], walking [P<0.001], sitting [P<0.001], standing [P<0.001], sleeping [P<0.001], social life [P<0.001] and employment [P=0.003]). Other significant differences were observed between both groups relative to SSEP latency and amplitude of the evaluated dermatomes on the right side (P=0.022 and P=0.001, respectively), and left side latency and amplitude (P=0.016 and P=0.002, respectively).
PEMF therapy is an effective method for the conservative treatment of lumbar radiculopathy caused by lumbar disc prolapse. In addition to improvement of clinically observed radicular symptoms, PEMF also seems effective in reducing nerve root compression as evidenced by improvement of SSEP parameters after treatment.
本随机临床试验旨在评估脉冲电磁场疗法（PEMF）在椎间盘源性腰椎神经根病患者治疗中的作用。
40 例因腰椎间盘突出症导致的腰椎神经根病患者被随机分为两组：研究组 20 例患者接受 PEMF 治疗，对照组 20 例患者接受安慰剂治疗。两组患者均在基线和 3 周后使用视觉模拟评分（VAS）（0-10）、感觉诱发电位（SSEP）评估选定的皮节和改良 Oswestry 下腰痛残疾问卷（OSW）进行评估，并比较治疗前后的结果。
与 VAS（P=0.024）、总 OSW（P<0.001）和 OSW 评分的其他领域（疼痛强度[P=0.009]、个人护理[P=0.01]、提升[P<0.001]、行走[P<0.001]、坐[P<0.001]、站[P<0.001]、睡[P<0.001]、社交生活[P<0.001]和就业[P=0.003]）相比，两组患者在接受 PEMF 治疗前后均有显著差异。与右侧评估皮节的 SSEP 潜伏期和振幅（分别为 P=0.022 和 P=0.001）以及左侧潜伏期和振幅（分别为 P=0.016 和 P=0.002）相比，两组患者之间也存在其他显著差异。
PEMF 治疗是治疗腰椎间盘突出症引起的腰椎神经根病的有效方法。除了改善临床观察到的神经根症状外，PEMF 似乎还通过治疗后 SSEP 参数的改善有效减轻神经根压迫。
