RESPONSE OF PAIN TO STATIC MAGNETIC-FIELDS IN POSTPOLIO PATIENTS - A DOUBLE-BLIND PILOT-STUDY

Objective: To determine if the chronic pain frequently presented by po stpolio patients can be relieved by application of magnetic fields app lied directly over an identified pain trigger point. Design: Double-bl ind randomized clinical trial. Setting: The postpolio clinic of a larg e rehabilitation hospital. Patients: Fifty patients with diagnosed pos tpolio syndrome who reported muscular or arthritic-like pain. Interven tion: Application of active or placebo 300 to 500 Gauss magnetic devic es to the affected area for 45 minutes. Main Outcome Measure: Score on the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Results: Patients who received the act ive device experienced an average pain score decrease of 4.4 +/- 3.1 ( p < .0001) on a 10-point scale. Those with the placebo devices experie nced a decrease of 1.1 +/- 1.6 points (p < .005). The proportion of pa tients in the active-device group who reported a pain score decrease g reater than the average placebo effect was 76%, compared with 19% in t he placebo-device group (p < .0001). Conclusions: The application of a device delivering static magnetic fields of 300 to 500 Gauss over a p ain trigger point results in significant and prompt relief of pain in postpolio subjects. (C) 1997 by the American Congress of Rehabilitatio n Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilit ation.