BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE STUDY: Response of pain to static magnetic fields in postpolio patients A double-blind pilot study.
Vallbona C, Hazlewood CF, Jurida
G.
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine,
Houston, TX 77030, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To determine if the
chronic pain frequently presented by postpolio patients can be relieved
by application of magnetic fields applied directly over an identified
pain trigger point. DESIGN: Double-blind randomized clinical trial.
SETTING: The postpolio clinic of
a large rehabilitation hospital.
PATIENTS: Fifty patients with diagnosed
postpolio syndrome who reported muscular or arthritic-like pain.
INTERVENTION: Application of active
or placebo 300 to 500 Gauss magnetic devices to the affected area for
45 minutes.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Score on
the McGill Pain Questionnaire.
RESULTS: Patients who received
the active device experienced an average pain score decrease of 4.4
+/- 3.1 (p < .0001) on a 10-point scale. Those with the placebo devices
experienced a decrease of 1.1 +/- 1.6 points (p < .005). The proportion
of patients in the active-device group who reported a pain score decrease
greater than the average placebo effect was 76%, compared with 19% in
the placebo-device group (p < .0001).
CONCLUSIONS: The application of
a device delivering static magnetic fields of 300 to 500 Gauss over
a pain trigger point results in significant and prompt relief of pain
in postpolio subjects.
Publication Types:
* Clinical trial
* Randomized controlled trial
MeSH Terms:
* Chi-Square Distribution
* Chronic Disease
* Double-Blind Method
* Female
* Human
* Magnetics/therapeutic use*
* Male
* Pain/therapy*
* Pain/physiopathology
* Pain/etiology
* Pain Measurement
* Pilot Projects
* Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome/complications* |