Pulsed Shortwave Therapy in Cervical Osteoarthritis Compared with NSAIDs

Traditional treatment approaches frequently include NSAIDs, physical therapy, exercise programs, muscle relaxants, and lifestyle modifications.

A randomized clinical trial by El Mohammad and colleagues asked a practical question: can wearable pulsed shortwave therapy (PSWT) provide outcomes comparable to or potentially greater than conventional anti-inflammatory therapy? The study, published in SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine, compared PSWT against COX-2 NSAID therapy in individuals with cervical osteoarthritis.

Study Design

• randomized (1:1) parallel-arm design
• chronic cervical osteoarthritis patients
• PSWT treatment group
• NSAID treatment group
• four-week treatment duration

Primary endpoints included Neck Disability Index (NDI), pain at rest (VAS), pain during activity (VAS), medication utilization, and adverse events.

Findings Reported by Investigators

• larger reductions in pain scores within the PSWT group
• greater improvement in Neck Disability Index scores
• approximately 50% less rescue pain medication use
• 11 reported adverse events in NSAID group
• 0 reported adverse events in PSWT group

“Both NSAID and PSWT treatments resulted in statistically significant improvements in quality of life and pain reduction; however, PSWT showed superior improvements in outcome measures.” — El Mohammad et al.

Why This Paper Matters

Many neck pain studies focus solely on pain scores. This paper is notable because it incorporated both symptom reduction and functional outcomes. For patients, functional outcomes often represent the more meaningful endpoint — can I turn my head comfortably, can I work at a computer, can I sleep, can I drive?

Electrome Perspective