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[Electromagnetic therapy for patients with intermittent claudication--is it effective?]
J O Sundhagen1, L E Staxrud, L Rosén
1Karkirurgisk seksjon Kirurgisk avdeling Aker sykehus, Oslo.
Summary
Electromagnetic treatment (Elmedistraal) showed no significant benefits for intermittent claudication patients. This study found no improvement in walking distance or clinical signs, indicating Elmedistraal is ineffective for peripheral circulation issues.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Media attention highlighted Elmedistraal, a treatment using electromagnetic principles.
- There were claims of positive effects on peripheral circulation, prompting scientific investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of Elmedistraal in patients with intermittent claudication.
- To assess both subjective and objective outcomes of the electromagnetic treatment.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, placebo-controlled study involving 12 intermittent claudication patients.
- Patients received both active Elmedistraal and placebo treatments (10 sessions each) as their own controls.
- Outcomes measured included clinical signs, ankle/arm pressure index (ultrasound Doppler), maximal walking distance (treadmill), and visual analog scale for symptoms.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant improvements were observed in clinical signs or objective measures like the ankle/arm pressure index.
- Maximal walking distance on the treadmill did not increase following Elmedistraal treatment.
- Patient-reported symptom changes on the visual analog scale were not significantly different between active and placebo treatments.
Conclusions:
- The study found no evidence to support the effectiveness of Elmedistraal for treating intermittent claudication.
- Neither subjective symptom relief nor objective physiological improvements were documented with this electromagnetic therapy.