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Evidence summaries

Electromagnetic Fields for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Electrical stimulation may have statistically significant effects for pain in patients with osteoarthritis, but the clinical significance of the benefit is uncertain. Level of evidence: "C"

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 9 studies with a total of 636 subjects. Participants who were randomised to electromagnetic field treatment rated their pain relief 15.10 points more on a scale of 0 to 100 (MD 15.10, 95% CI 9.08 to 21.13; absolute improvement 15%) after 4 to 26 weeks' treatment compared with placebo. Electromagnetic field treatment had no statistically significant effect on physical function (MD 4.55, 95% CI -2.23 to 11.32; absolute improvement 4.55%) based on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) scale from 0 to 100 after 12 to 26 weeks' treatment. No statistically significant difference in quality of life was found on a scale from 0 to 100 (SMD 0.09, 95% CI -0.36 to 0.54; absolute improvement 0.09%) after four to six weeks' treatment, based on the SF-36.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (inadequate reporting of study design and conduct, and there was high risk of bias for incomplete outcome data in three studies).

References

  • Li S, Yu B, Zhou D et al. Electromagnetic fields for treating osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013;(12):CD003523. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords