Efficacy of Extremely Low Magnetic Field (ELF) in Fibromyalgic Patients

NCT ID: NCT03503760

Last Updated: 2018-04-20

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

48 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2016-07-31

Study Completion Date

2017-07-31

Brief Summary

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This is a randomized double-blind crossover study. The investigators applied ELF with a device named "LIMFA Therapy®" to 48 fibromyalgic patients, assigned in two groups (true-sham and sham-true). Fibromyalgia severity was assessed with the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), quality of sleep with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire and global quality of life with Short Form-12 of Physical and Mental Health Summary (SF-12) questionnaire.

Detailed Description

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In the first part of the protocol the group true-sham received 6 twice a week sessions of true ELF therapy of 1 hour, following the antinflammatory, analgesic and biorhythm settings of the device "LIMFA Therapy®". The sham-true group patients received 6 twice a week sessions of sham therapy (no therapy).

During the second part of the protocol, the true-sham group received the sham therapy twice a week for 3 weeks and the sham-true group received the actual true therapy twice a week for 3 weeks.

For the assessment of pain, sleep quality and global quality of life, a set of questionnaires were administrated at specific stages of the protocol. Questionnaires were administrated every three weeks: before the first therapy, after the first course of therapy, after the washout period, after the second course of therapy, and 3 weeks after the end of treatment.

Conditions

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Fibromyalgia

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Patients have been randomized in two groups using "Research randomizer" avaliable at www.randomizer.org.

The first group of patients "true-sham" received 6 twice a week sessions of true ELF therapy of one hour with "LIMFA Therapy®", following the antinflammatory, analgesic and biorhythm settings of the device. Then, after a wash-out period (three weeks), it received the sham therapy (no therapy) twice a week for three weeks.

The second group "sham-true" received 6 twice a week sessions of sham therapy (no therapy) and then, after the wash-out period (three weeks), it received 6 session of true ELF therapy twice a week for three weeks.

A set of questionnaires were administrated: before first session, after first session, after the wash-out period, after second session and after three week follow-up in both groups.
Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Caregivers
Participant and care provider were unaware of the treatment as the machine does not make any sound or heat during the session. Only the nurse that physically connect the cable to the generator knows if the patient recieve or not the therapy but she was not involved in clinical evaluation.

Study Groups

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true-sham

Patients first received the "true" LIMFA Therapy® treatment for 3 weeks followed by 3 weeks of washout and then six "sham" sessions for 3 weeks more.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

LIMFA Therapy®

Intervention Type DEVICE

It applies a packages of magneto-electric field sequences having variable geometry, with frequencies and intensities that vary in a range of 0-80 Hertz and 0-100 microTesla, respectively.

sham-true

Patients first received the "sham" treatment for 3 weeks followed by 3 weeks of washout and then six "true" LIMFA Therapy® sessions for 3 weeks more.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

LIMFA Therapy®

Intervention Type DEVICE

It applies a packages of magneto-electric field sequences having variable geometry, with frequencies and intensities that vary in a range of 0-80 Hertz and 0-100 microTesla, respectively.

Interventions

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LIMFA Therapy®

It applies a packages of magneto-electric field sequences having variable geometry, with frequencies and intensities that vary in a range of 0-80 Hertz and 0-100 microTesla, respectively.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* patients with an established fibromyalgia diagnosis of at least three months according to American College of Rheumatology 2010 modified criteria and no responsive to their current therapy.
* patients were not responsive to amitryptiline, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or duloxetine and pregabalin (with a pain reduction below 50% compared to pre-therapy or intolerant to these drugs)
* patients with a pain level measured with Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS) \> 50/100.
* patients that had been taking other drugs or food supplements for the treatment of fibromyalgia for at least 6 months.

Exclusion Criteria

* patients that completed either physiotherapy or acupuncture or behavioral treatment in the last 6 months
* patients that were affected by other painful syndromes or potentially painful syndromes other than fibromyalgia.
* pregnant women
* pace-maker carriers
* oncologic patients
* tuberculotic patients.
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Alvise Martini

MD, Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

References

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Borchers AT, Gershwin ME. Fibromyalgia: A Critical and Comprehensive Review. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2015 Oct;49(2):100-51. doi: 10.1007/s12016-015-8509-4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26445775 (View on PubMed)

Wolfe F, Clauw DJ, Fitzcharles MA, Goldenberg DL, Katz RS, Mease P, Russell AS, Russell IJ, Winfield JB, Yunus MB. The American College of Rheumatology preliminary diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia and measurement of symptom severity. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2010 May;62(5):600-10. doi: 10.1002/acr.20140.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20461783 (View on PubMed)

Curcio G, Tempesta D, Scarlata S, Marzano C, Moroni F, Rossini PM, Ferrara M, De Gennaro L. Validity of the Italian version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Neurol Sci. 2013 Apr;34(4):511-9. doi: 10.1007/s10072-012-1085-y. Epub 2012 Apr 13.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22526760 (View on PubMed)

Sarzi-Puttini P, Atzeni F, Fiorini T, Panni B, Randisi G, Turiel M, Carrabba M. Validation of an Italian version of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ-I). Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2003 Jul-Aug;21(4):459-64.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12942697 (View on PubMed)

Ware J Jr, Kosinski M, Keller SD. A 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey: construction of scales and preliminary tests of reliability and validity. Med Care. 1996 Mar;34(3):220-33. doi: 10.1097/00005650-199603000-00003.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 8628042 (View on PubMed)

Paolucci T, Piccinini G, Iosa M, Piermattei C, de Angelis S, Grasso MR, Zangrando F, Saraceni VM. Efficacy of extremely low-frequency magnetic field in fibromyalgia pain: A pilot study. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2016;53(6):1023-1034. doi: 10.1682/JRRD.2015.04.0061.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28475205 (View on PubMed)

Quittan M, Schuhfried O, Wiesinger GF, Fialka-Moser V. [Clinical effectiveness of magnetic field therapy--a review of the literature]. Acta Med Austriaca. 2000;27(3):61-8. doi: 10.1046/j.1563-2571.2000.270210.x. German.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10897384 (View on PubMed)

Bennett RM, Bushmakin AG, Cappelleri JC, Zlateva G, Sadosky AB. Minimal clinically important difference in the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire. J Rheumatol. 2009 Jun;36(6):1304-11. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.081090. Epub 2009 Apr 15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19369473 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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CESC prot. ELF-925

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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