Effect of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy as an Adjunct Modality to Warm-up Exercise

Effectiveness of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy as an Adjunct Modality to Warm-up Exercise: a Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy as an adjunct to warm-up exercises, in healthy participants. Researchers will investigate both the immediate effect of one round of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) and after a warm-up exercise, on participants' range-of-motion (ROM) at the knee and quadriceps' muscle stiffness, measured through shear wave elastography, an ultrasound technique. This may be useful in future interventions to protect against sports injuries.

Participants will have their knee ROM and quadriceps' muscle stiffness measured thrice, once at baseline, once after PEMF/sham treatment, and once after 5 minutes of warm-up stationary bike exercises.

Researchers will compare with sham treatment to see if there are any significant effects from PEMF therapy.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Knee Range-of-motion; Quadriceps Muscle Stiffness
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy; Device: Sham treatment

Detailed Description

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy as an adjunct to warm-up exercises, in healthy participants. Researchers will investigate both the immediate effect of one round of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) and after a warm-up exercise, on participants' range-of-motion (ROM) at the knee and quadriceps' muscle stiffness, measured through shear wave elastography, an ultrasound technique. This may be useful in future interventions to protect against sports injuries.

Participants will have their knee ROM and quadriceps' muscle stiffness measured thrice, once at baseline, once after PEMF/sham treatment, and once after 5 minutes of warm-up stationary bike exercises.

• Baseline measurement of knee ROM and quadriceps' muscle stiffness
• Receive PEMF for ten minutes around their knee joint
• Interim measurement of knee ROM and quadriceps' muscle stiffness
• Perform 5 minutes of warm-up exercise on a stationary bike
• Final measurement of knee ROM and quadriceps' muscle stiffness

Researchers will compare with sham treatment to see if there are any significant effects from PEMF therapy.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Hong Kong
  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 000000
    • CUHK-ORT Sports Injury Research Laboratory

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged between 18 and 40
• Obtained written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of major musculoskeletal or locomotor system disorder of lower limb
• History of traumatic or non-traumatic injury of lower limb
• History of surgical intervention of lower limb in the past 1 year
• Under any rehabilitation program at the time of investigation
• Contraindicated to physical exercises

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: PEMF treatment arm; Participants receive PEMF therapy. During this, the participant is seated with their right leg extended and with the bore of the PEMF machine between their knee and hip joints, with their left leg at rest. PEMF was applied at 1 mT, 15 Hz for 10 minutes.	Device: Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy; Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy for 10 minutes, using a PEMF device, at 1 mT, 15 Hz.
Sham Comparator: Control arm; Participants receive sham therapy, where the PEMF machine does not apply the pulsed electromagnetic waves. However, during this, the participant is kept in the same position as those in the treatment arm.	Device: Sham treatment; Sham treatment, using the same PEMF device

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in knee range-of-motion from baseline immediately after PEMF and after warm-up exercise, as assessed by goniometer	A goniometer will be used to measure the knee range-of-motion: the static arm will follow a line joining the knee to the greater trochanter of the femur, and the moving arm a line from the knee to the lateral malleolus of the ankle	From before PEMF/sham treatment to end of treatment and warm-up exercise, within 1 hour

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in quadriceps muscle stiffness from baseline immediately after PEMF and after warm-up exercise, as assessed by ultrasound shear wave elastography	Ultrasound imaging and shear wave elastography will be used to measure the stiffness of the three superficial quadriceps muscles (vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and rectus femoris). Markings will be made to standardise the position of scanning. Ultrasound imaging will be used to verify the muscle being scanned. After shear wave is applied and a stable image is obtained, Young's modulus will be measured as a measure of muscle stiffness.	From before PEMF/sham treatment to end of treatment and warm-up exercise, within 1 hour

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Justine Tin Nok Chan, University of Cambridge

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 30, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 14, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): September 14, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 25, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 1, 2024
• First Posted (Estimated): February 2, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): February 2, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 1, 2024
• Last Verified: February 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 202.616-T

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No