Researchers at the University of Palermo and Palermo Provincial Health Company in Italy compared patients receiving PEMF alone to those receiving the therapy in addition to a supplement containing bone-supportive nutrients.
“In particular, the combined approach was associated with a trend toward greater pain reduction, a higher proportion of patients achieving clinically meaningful improvement, and a more pronounced early bone reparative response,” they wrote in Nutrients.
“Overall, our findings suggest that the addition of nutraceutical supplementation to PEMF therapy is associated with improved short-term outcomes, particularly in terms of pain reduction, bone turnover markers, and early callus formation.”
However, the methodological limitations of the study and relatively small sample size mean that larger, well-designed trials are needed to clarify the effectiveness of this strategy.
Managing wrist fractures
A distal radius fracture (DRF), commonly referred to as a broken wrist, can occur in younger adults as a result of physical activities or older adults with osteoporosis, particularly post-menopausal women. The injury is one of the most common types of fractures, and studies suggest that DRFs are projected to nearly double over the next two decades due to rising fracture rates among older populations.
Treatments for DRFs may include splinting and casting, surgery, and physical rehabilitation therapy.
PEMF therapy has received increasing attention for its beneficial effects on bone remodeling. The non-invasive treatment is a complementary therapy that uses low-level magnetic pulses to support bone healing.
Previous studies have indicated that PEMF may stimulate osteoblast activity, enhance bone metabolism, and help fractures to heal, although further evidence is required to confirm its effectiveness.
Nutrition also plays a fundamental role in bone metabolism and fracture healing. The diet must have adequate protein, as well as vitamins D, K, and C, and minerals calcium, magnesium and zinc. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) has attracted increasing interest due to its role in collagen production and connective tissue metabolism, as well as its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Resveratrol and silicon are also nutrients that may support skeletal repair.
Study details
The study was a non-blinded randomized controlled trial involving 60 female patients with a recent diagnosis of DRF.
The researchers adopted a non-blinded design due to practical difficulties in masking interventions and ensuring treatment adherence, but noted that the lack of blinding represents a study limitation.
Participants were randomized to two groups: Group A received 30 sessions of PEMF therapy via a device at home for up to 9 hours per day for one month. Group B received the same treatment and an additional daily nutraceutical supplement containing MSM, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B12, vitamin K2, silicon, resveratrol, zinc, and vitamin D3.
The PEMF device used is a commercially available, European regulations-compliant medical device called Magneto 4.
For clinical evaluation, the researchers employed ultrasound examination, laboratory tests, and pain intensity scales and used appropriate statistical tools to analyze the findings.
The results revealed that group B “showed a trend toward greater pain reduction compared with Group A (mean difference −0.57; p = 0.007) and higher bone alkaline phosphatase levels,” the researchers wrote.
Ultrasound scans showed a higher proportion of participants with organized callus formation in the supplement group, which suggested a more advanced stage of early bone repair.
“A higher proportion of patients reached minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in Group B (60% vs. 30%, p = 0.02),” they added.
They noted that due to the absence of a non-PEMF control group, the independent effect of PEMF could not be determined and called for further well-designed RCTs to confirm their results.
Source: Nutrients; doi: 10.3390/nu18122010 “Combined Nutraceutical Supplementation and Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy Enhances Early Pain Reduction and Bone Callus Formation After Distal Radius Fracture: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Authors: D. Scaturro et al.
