PO:28:126 | Effectiveness of the new AMEL system in the treatment of simple painful shoulder syndrome

Antonietta Albanese¹, Emilio Battisti¹, Federico Filippi² | ¹Dipartimento SFTA, Università di Siena, Siena; ²Sanimed, Fisiomed, Vicenza, Italy

Background. The term "shoulder periarthritis" refers to a group of conditions with a mixed degenerative-inflammatory pathogenesis and predominantly microtraumatic etiology, affecting the periarticular tendon structures (rotator cuff and long head of the biceps) and the subacromial bursa. Depending on the anatomical-pathological characteristics and anatomical location of lesions, different clinical pictures can occur. These syndromes are typically unilateral, with symptoms dominated by pain and restricted mobility. Among the various types of shoulder periarthritis, simple painful shoulder (SDs) is the expression of a small tendon lesion affecting the rotator cuff and characterized by the prevalence of the painful component over the limitation of joint motion. The analgesic-therapeutic efficacy and tolerability of Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields—modulated at a frequency of 100 Hz with a sinusoidal waveform and average induction of a few gauss—have been demonstrated in numerous studies conducted on various hyperalgesic pathologies, particularly of the musculoskeletal system.

Materials and Methods. In this research, the authors evaluated a new type of pulsed magnetic field (PEMF) developed by AMEL, with frequency variation, whose frequency changes over time so that all permitted codes can be used during a single application. They compared it with a ELF field, a low-frequency magnetic field. For the purposes of comparison, 60 patients (28 females and 32 males), aged 37-66 years and diagnosed with simple shoulder pain, were enrolled. They were randomly divided into three groups of 20 subjects each and underwent treatment for 30 minutes per day for 20 days. One group was exposed to the AMEL PEMF, another to the ELF field, and a third to sham treatment. The sham field was included to rule out a placebo effect. Pain intensity and shoulder joint function were assessed before treatment, immediately after treatment, and at 30-day follow-up.

Results. Patients treated with the AMEL PEMF and the ELF field completed therapy without adverse effects or the need for analgesic or anti-inflammatory medications. Both groups showed significant improvement in subjective pain and functional outcomes, which persisted at one-month follow-up. The sham group showed no significant changes. Notably, patients in the AMEL PEMF group exhibited a faster clinical response.

Conclusions. It is well known that exposure to PEMFs has analgesic effects and has been introduced in the treatment of pain, and our preliminary study appears to support these findings. Based on the data collected, pulsed electromagnetic fields appear to be effective in the treatment of simple painful shoulders. The effects of the new AMEL PEMF system, due to its tolerability and absence of adverse effects, may be suitable for use in various pain-related conditions, pending confirmation by larger-scale studies.