What did this study find?
This review pooled five randomized trials covering 118 people treated with transcranial magnetic stimulation for post-traumatic stress. Active stimulation was significantly better than sham on core symptoms, with improvement appearing within the first twenty-four hours. Transcranial magnetic stimulation uses far stronger fields than consumer PEMF systems and is not equivalent to them.
What are the details of this record?
- Full citation
- Pawluk W. Pulsed Magnetic Field Treatment of Anxiety, Panic and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders. Herald Open Access.
- Authors
- William Pawluk, MD
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial
- Sample size and population
- 118 individuals across 5 RCTs
- Evidence grade
- Grade B- on the BioReg grading scale
- Reported findings
- Review of 5 RCTs (118 individuals) found active TMS significantly superior to sham for core PTSD symptoms. Improvements in first 24 hours, withdrawal symptoms decreased up to 7 days.
- DOI
- No DOI recorded
- PubMed
- Not indexed in PubMed
- Related categories
- PTSD & Trauma (category grade C+ to B-)
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.