title: Comparison between the analgesic and therapeutic effects of a musically modulated electromagnetic field (TAMMEF) and those of a 100 Hz electromagnetic field: blind experiment on patients suffering from cervical spondylosis or shoulder periarthritis.
abstract: The analgesic-therapeutic efficacy and tolerability of a low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF), modulated at a frequency of 100 Hz with a sinusoidal waveform and mean induction of a few gauss, has been demonstrated by the authors in numerous previous studies of various hyperalgic pathologies, particularly of the locomotor apparatus. In the present study, the authors tested a new type of all-inclusive field, denoted TAMMEF, whose parameters (frequency, intensity, waveform) are modified in time, randomly varying within the respective ranges, so that all the possible codes can occur during a single application. For the comparison, 150 subjects (118 women and 32 men, between 37 and 66 years of age) were enrolled. They were affected by cervical spondylosis (101 cases) or shoulder periarthritis (49 cases). Unbeknownst to them, they were randomly divided into three groups of 50 subjects. One group was exposed to the new TAMMEF, another group to the usual ELF, and the third group to simulated treatment. The results show that the effects of the new TAMMEF therapy are equivalent to those obtained with the ELF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Section of Medical Physics University of Sienna, Italy. rigato@unisi.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rigato
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Battisti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fortunato
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Giordano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009147:Music Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D010489:Periarthritis / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012785:Shoulder Joint; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome