Riassunto dello studio

Seventy-four patients diagnosed with cervical disc herniation (CDH) and intervertebral disc protrusion/extrusion were both given the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) combined with a hot pack and randomized to receive additional pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy (n=37) or a sham PEMF with no current flow (n=37). Outcomes of interest included severity of pain on the visual analogue scale (VAS), function via the Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPDS), anxiety and depression via the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale, and quality of life via the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and its sub-scores (pain, energy level, emotional reaction, sleep, social isolation, physical abilities). All outcomes were evaluated at 3 and 12 weeks follow-up. Results revealed that VAS pain was statistically significantly lower in the PEMF therapy group compared to sham at 12 weeks follow-up (p=0.02), however this was not observed at 3 weeks follow-up (p=0.19). Moreover, NHP-Sleep, NHP- social isolation, NHP-physical abilities, NHP-energy level, and NHP-total scores were all statistically significantly improved in the PEMF therapy group compared to the sham group at 3 and 12 weeks follow-up (p<0.05 for all). All other outcomes at 3 and 12 weeks follow-up were not statistically significantly different between the 2 therapies (p>0.05 for all).