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CompletedNCT06239103Updated Feb 2, 2024

Effect of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy as an Adjunct Modality to Warm-up Exercise

An interventional study of Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy and Sham treatment in Knee Range-of-motion and Quadriceps Muscle Stiffness, sponsored by Chinese University of Hong Kong. Completed at 1 site in Hong Kong. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 40 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-02-02.

Sponsored by Chinese University of Hong Kong · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 1 year 4 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Aug 2022, registered Jan 2024).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
20
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 40 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy as an adjunct to warm-up exercises, in healthy participants. Researchers will investigate both the immediate effect of one round of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) and after a warm-up exercise, on participants' range-of-motion (ROM) at the knee and quadriceps' muscle stiffness, measured through shear wave elastography, an ultrasound technique. This may be useful in future interventions to protect against sports injuries.

Participants will have their knee ROM and quadriceps' muscle stiffness measured thrice, once at baseline, once after PEMF/sham treatment, and once after 5 minutes of warm-up stationary bike exercises.

Researchers will compare with sham treatment to see if there are any significant effects from PEMF therapy.

Read the detailed description

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy as an adjunct to warm-up exercises, in healthy participants. Researchers will investigate both the immediate effect of one round of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) and after a warm-up exercise, on participants' range-of-motion (ROM) at the knee and quadriceps' muscle stiffness, measured through shear wave elastography, an ultrasound technique. This may be useful in future interventions to protect against sports injuries.

Participants will have their knee ROM and quadriceps' muscle stiffness measured thrice, once at baseline, once after PEMF/sham treatment, and once after 5 minutes of warm-up stationary bike exercises.

  • Baseline measurement of knee ROM and quadriceps' muscle stiffness
  • Receive PEMF for ten minutes around their knee joint
  • Interim measurement of knee ROM and quadriceps' muscle stiffness
  • Perform 5 minutes of warm-up exercise on a stationary bike
  • Final measurement of knee ROM and quadriceps' muscle stiffness

Researchers will compare with sham treatment to see if there are any significant effects from PEMF therapy.

02

Conditions studied

  • Knee Range-of-motion
  • Quadriceps Muscle Stiffness
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Chinese University of Hong Kong is the lead sponsor of 1,419 studies on the registry; 487 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 40 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged between 18 and 40
  • Obtained written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of major musculoskeletal or locomotor system disorder of lower limb
  • History of traumatic or non-traumatic injury of lower limb
  • History of surgical intervention of lower limb in the past 1 year
  • Under any rehabilitation program at the time of investigation
  • Contraindicated to physical exercises
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
20 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    PEMF treatment arm

    Participants receive PEMF therapy. During this, the participant is seated with their right leg extended and with the bore of the PEMF machine between their knee and hip joints, with their left leg at rest. PEMF was applied at 1 mT, 15 Hz for 10 minutes.

    Device: Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy

  • Sham comparator
    Control arm

    Participants receive sham therapy, where the PEMF machine does not apply the pulsed electromagnetic waves. However, during this, the participant is kept in the same position as those in the treatment arm.

    Device: Sham treatment

Interventions

  • DevicePulsed electromagnetic field therapy

    Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy for 10 minutes, using a PEMF device, at 1 mT, 15 Hz.

  • DeviceSham treatment

    Sham treatment, using the same PEMF device

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in knee range-of-motion from baseline immediately after PEMF and after warm-up exercise, as assessed by goniometer

    A goniometer will be used to measure the knee range-of-motion: the static arm will follow a line joining the knee to the greater trochanter of the femur, and the moving arm a line from the knee to the lateral malleolus of the ankle

    Time frame: From before PEMF/sham treatment to end of treatment and warm-up exercise, within 1 hour

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in quadriceps muscle stiffness from baseline immediately after PEMF and after warm-up exercise, as assessed by ultrasound shear wave elastography

    Ultrasound imaging and shear wave elastography will be used to measure the stiffness of the three superficial quadriceps muscles (vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and rectus femoris). Markings will be made to standardise the position of scanning. Ultrasound imaging will be used to verify the muscle being scanned. After shear wave is applied and a stable image is obtained, Young's modulus will be measured as a measure of muscle stiffness.

    Time frame: From before PEMF/sham treatment to end of treatment and warm-up exercise, within 1 hour

07

Study locations

1 site
  • CUHK-ORT Sports Injury Research Laboratory
    Hong Kong, 000000, Hong Kong
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 2, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06239103
Lead sponsor
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Responsible party
Justine Tin Nok Chan (Medical Student Researcher, University of Cambridge) — Principal investigator
First posted
Feb 2, 2024
Start date
Aug 30, 2022
Primary completion
Sep 14, 2022
Completion
Sep 14, 2022
Last update
Feb 2, 2024

Study contacts

Justine Tin Nok Chan
principal investigator · University of Cambridge

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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