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Pain Management

Static Magnetic Field Therapy for Pain

Author Year
Country
PEDro Score
Research Design
Total Sample Size
Methods Outcome
Panagos et al. 2004

USA

Pre-Post

N=8

Population: Type of pain=nociceptive musculoskeletal shoulder pain.

Treatment: A concentric field type magnet (500 gauss) was placed over one shoulder for 1 hr.

Outcome Measures: Short form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ); Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)

1.     On SF-MPQ, pain intensity decreased (p<0.01).

2.     Significant decreases also were noted in severity of sharp and stabbing pain, and degree of tenderness (p=0.033, p=0.02, and p=0.021, respectively).

3.     Pain intensity on VAS and in response to pressure did not change significantly with magnet application.

Discussion

Static Magnetic Field (SMF) therapy has been studied as a treatment for pain post SCI. Panagos et al. (2004) in a pre-post study involving eight individuals, on average 12 years post injury, found that placing a static field magnet of 500 gauss over a self-identified ‘trigger point’ resulted in patients reporting less stabbing, sharp and tender pain (p<0.05); however, there was no significant change noted on a VAS pain severity scale. These results are severely limited by the uncontrolled study design and relatively few study participants.

Conclusion

There is level 4 evidence (from one pre-post study: Panagos et al. 2004) that using a static field magnet helps to reduce reports of sharp, stabbing nociceptive shoulder pain but does not significantly reduce the VAS score of pain in individuals with a SCI.

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