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Rate ePoster

Musculoskeletal and Sports Medicine

Clinical Efficacy of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy on Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Pain: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Friday, October 24, 2025
8:00 AM - 9:15 AM MT
Location: Kiosk 7

    Poster Presenter(s)

  • Vinod Rajakumar, MD

    Resident Physician
    Stanford University PM&R Program
    Mountainview, California

    • Primary Author(s)

  • Raymond Chou, MD

    Clinical Assistant Professor
    Stanford University School of Medicine
    Redwood City, California

    • Co-Author(s)

  • MD

    Maxwell Durtschi, Other

    Medical Student
    Stanford University School of Medicine
    Stanford, California

  • Deborah Kenney, MS OTR

    Research Manager
    Stanford, Department of Ortho Surgery
    Stanford, California

  • NP

    Nicole S. Pham, MPH

    Biostatistician
    Stanford University
    Stanford, California

  • AL

    Amy Ladd, MD

    Elsbach-Richards Professor of Surgery
    Stanford University
    Stanford, California

Disclosure(s):
Vinod Rajakumar, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Raymond Chou, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Deborah Kenney, MS OTR: No financial relationships to disclose
Background and/or Objectives: Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint osteoarthritis (OA) is a common source of hand pain that is classically difficult to treat with conservative measures. The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) device for treating thumb CMC OA pain.

Design: Single-center, double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

Setting : Tertiary outpatient hand clinic.

Participants : 61 adults with clinically diagnosed thumb CMC OA and an average daily Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) score between 3 and 8 were randomized to either a PEMF device (N=31) or an identical-appearing sham control device (N=30).

Interventions: Participants were instructed to wear the device for eight hours each night for four weeks and to stop wearing it for two weeks.

Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure was the change in NRPS from baseline to 4 weeks. Secondary outcome measures included the change in NPRS from baseline to 6 weeks and changes in oral analgesic and thumb CMC splint use.

Results: 50 participants (PEMF N=25) completed the 6-week study. There was a significant improvement in NPRS for both groups after four weeks of device use (p < 0.01), but not between groups (p=0.43). At week 6, after two weeks of discontinuing device use, the PEMF group, but not the control group, had persisting significant improvement in NPRS (p < 0.01), and there was a significant difference between groups (p=0.02). There were no differences for change in oral analgesic or splint use at four or six weeks.

Conclusions: PEMF therapy does not significantly improve pain secondary to thumb CMC OA, at a treatment duration of 8 hours nightly for four weeks, when compared to sham control. However, PEMF may provide sustained pain relief two weeks beyond the treatment period.