evaluating the efficacy of high-intensity electromagnetic field therapy as an adjunct to acupuncture in degenerative low back pain: a prospective study

This study evaluated whether adding high-intensity electromagnetic field therapy (hieft) to acupuncture improves analgesic and functional outcomes in patients with low back pain (lbp) due to lumbar spondylosis. in a prospective, randomized trial, 70 adults (aged 38–79) with moderate degenerative lbp were allocated to either an intervention group (ig: acupuncture + hieft) or a control group (cg: acupuncture only). both groups received 30 minutes of standardized lumbar acupuncture daily for 15 weekdays. the ig also received 10 minutes of hieft (2.0–2.5 t, 10–20 hz) after each session. outcomes were assessed at baseline, and on days 5, 10, and 15. the primary outcome was pain (visual analogue scale, vas); secondary outcomes included lumbar flexion (schober test), extension range, and oswestry disability index (odi). sixty-nine participants completed the study (ig = 35, cg = 34). by day 15, mean vas scores decreased by 3.86 cm (75.3%) in ig versus 2.18 cm (43.3%) in cg (p < 0.01). lumbar flexion improved by 2.0 cm in ig versus 1.4 cm in cg (p = 0.02), and extension by 10.3° vs. 4.3°, respectively (p = 0.01). odi scores improved by 10.4 points (46.7%) in ig versus 7.7 points (35.4%) in cg (p = 0.04). a “good” or “excellent” global response was reported by 83% of ig participants versus 60% in cg (p = 0.01). no adverse events were observed. hieft is a promising non-invasive adjunct to acupuncture in managing lbp from lumbar spondylosis, with significant benefits in pain relief and function.