What did this study find?
In this 1994 trial, 167 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or cervical spine received pulsed electromagnetic field treatment or placebo. Treated patients reported significantly greater pain reduction and functional improvement than placebo. It remains the foundational controlled evidence for PEMF in osteoarthritic pain, though its signal parameters differ from those of current consumer systems.
What are the details of this record?
- Full citation
- Trock DH, Bollet AJ, Markoll R. The effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee and cervical spine. J Rheumatol. 1994 Oct;21(10):1903-11.
- Journal
- Journal of Rheumatology
- Authors
- Trock DH, Bollet AJ, Markoll R
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial
- Sample size and population
- 167 patients with knee or cervical spine OA
- Evidence grade
- Grade A- on the BioReg grading scale
- Reported findings
- Landmark RCT with 167 patients (81 cervical spine OA, 86 knee OA). PEMF showed significant pain reduction and improved function in both conditions. Foundational evidence for PEMF in chronic pain.
- DOI
- No DOI recorded
- PubMed
- PMID 7837158
- Related categories
- Chronic Pain (category grade A-)
A positive PEMF study is not evidence for a specific device unless the signal parameters studied, frequency, intensity, waveform, and exposure duration, are reasonably comparable to what that device produces. Where this record does not list those parameters, the source report did not publish them. See the grading methodology. Library last reviewed 2026-08-27.