THE IMPACT OF ELECTROMAGNETIC THERAPY ON PAIN AND HEMODYNAMICS IN PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE

Highlights Intermittent claudication in the lower limbs is a bothersome symptom in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Pulsed electromagnetic therapeutic modality is a newly recommended intervention for managing PAD-induced lower-limb intermittent claudication when added to exercise rehabilitation. Abstract Aim. Despite the improvement with rest, lower-limb intermittent claudication is a bothersome issue/symptom in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Utilizing its benefits in increasing vasodilation/angiogenesis in patients with circulatory disorders/issues, adding pulsed electromagnetic therapeutic modality (PEMTM) to exercise rehabilitation of PAD is a newly recommended intervention in managing PAD-induced lower-limb intermittent claudication. This interventional study aimed to check the effects of adding PEMTM to elliptical exercise on vascular hemodynamics, functional outcomes, and quality of life in PAD sufferers. Methods. PAD older men were assigned randomly into the group of elliptical exercise (n = 20, received only elliptical exercise and by-physician prescribed for-PAD pharmacotherapies) or study group (n = 20, received PEMTM, elliptical exercise, and by-physician prescribed for-PAD pharmacotherapies). The eight-week PEMTM or elliptical exercise was applied 3 times weekly. The following outcomes were evaluated: PAD patients’ ankle brachial index test, diameter of posterior tibial artery, lower-limb claudication pain time, lower-limb claudication pain distance, modified walking-impairment questionnaire, short-form-36 health survey, disease-specific quality-of-life evaluation by the intermittent claudication questionnaire, summation score of short physical performance battery, pain-free six-minute walked distance, and the total six-minute walked distance. Results . The present paper showed a significant effect of elliptical exercise alone or combined with PEMTM on all measured parameters with a significant superiority to the combined application of elliptical exercise and PEMTM. Conclusion . Gained hemodynamic and functional benefits of elliptical exercise in PAD elderly could be magnified by adding PEMTM to elliptical exercise.