Electromagnetic Transduction Therapy for Achilles Tendinopathy: A Preliminary Report on a New Technology

Abstract

A parallel prospective feasibility study was performed on 53 patients with chronic mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy (age 44.7 ± 9.1 years). Of the 53 patients, 28 (active group) were treated using a new electromagnetic (pulsed electromagnetic field) transduction therapy device (Cellactor^® MT1) and heel cushions. The device produces an electromagnetic field of 80 milliTesla; a total of 8 treatments was performed within 4 weeks in an outpatient setting, without anesthesia, immobilization, or rest. A control group of 25 patients with a similar duration of symptoms was treated with heel cushions only. At the 12-week assessment point, the visual analog scale scores in both groups had significantly decreased, although the active group had significantly improved visual analog scale scores compared with those of the controls. The Role-Maudsley scores had also significantly improved in both the active and the control groups (p < .00001 and p = .0002, respectively). Electromagnetic transduction therapy could potentially be a useful modality for the treatment of Achilles tendinopathy. It should be compared with the current reference standard of extracorporeal shockwave therapy/radial soundwave therapy with similar level I, II, and III studies.

Keywords: electromagnetic; extracorporeal shockwave therapy; pulsed electromagnetic field; radial soundwave therapy; tendinopathy.