Pulsed electromagnetic field with or without exercise therapy in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia

Abstract

[Purpose] To investigate the effect of pulsed electromagnetic field with or without exercise therapy in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. [Subjects and Methods] Sixty male patients aged 55–65 years with benign prostatic hyperplasia were invited to participate in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to Group A (n=20; patients who received pulsed electromagnetic field in addition to pelvic floor and aerobic exercises), Group B (n=20; patients who received pulsed electromagnetic field), and Group C (n=20; patients who received placebo electromagnetic field). The assessments included post-void residual urine, urine flow rate, prostate specific antigen, white blood cells count, and International Prostate Symptom Score were weighed, before and after a 4-week intervention. [Results] There were significant differences in Group A and B in all parameters. Group C showed non-significant differences in all measured variables except for International Prostate Symptom Score. Among groups, all parameters showed highly significant differences in favor of Group A. There were non-significant differences between Group A and B and significant difference between Groups A and C and between Groups B and C. [Conclusion] The present study demonstrated that electromagnetic field had a significant impact on the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Accordingly, electromagnetic field can be utilized alone or in combination with other physiotherapy modalities. Moreover, clinicians should have the capacity to perceive the advantages accomplished using extra treatment alternatives. Electromagnetic field is a safe, noninvasive method and can be used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Preliminary results of a randomized crossover clinical trial comparing a new electromagnetic and vibrating device and alpha-blocker agents in patients affected by bladder outlet obstruction secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia

“…Instead, there was no statistically significant reduction in total PSA and IPSS. These results are partially consistent with the results of previous studies such as that one of Elgohary et al (13) which demonstrated the effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic fields alone or in association to exercise therapy in the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy in terms of IPSS improvement and reduction of bladder residue after voiding and that of Tenuta et al (14) which likewise demonstrated the effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic fields in terms of prostate volume reduction and IPSS enhancement. In neither of the two studies however the pulsed electromagnetic fields were compared with the standard drug therapy for benign prostatic hypertrophy.…”

Therapeutic use of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy reduces prostate volume and lower urinary tract symptoms in benign prostatic hyperplasia

“…37 To the best of our knowledge, only two human studies have used PEMF in the treatment of BPH. 23,24 So far, different devices have been used for PEMFs therapy, tailoring treatment duration according to tissue-specific conductivity and field strengths produced by the device used. In this context, our device was selected taking into account its specific technical features.…”

“…The device used was small, portable, and easy to apply at home by the patient himself. In the previously mentioned studies, 23,24 both of the devices required hospital admission and administration by healthcare professionals with longer daily treatment duration (30 minutes in-office application 5 days/week).…”

“…To date, two studies have used PEMF in BPH treatment, with different inoffice devices, study designs, and outcomes. 23,24 The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of magnetotherapy on BPH using a patient-applied handheld PEMF device: the main outcome measure was PV reduction after 28 consecutive days of PEMF therapy. Secondary outcomes were changed in PV after 4 months and changed in LUTS during treatment.…”

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“…There are many physiotherapy modalities used in wound healing as laser and exercises [9, 10]. Pulsed radio frequency electromagnetic energy (PRFE) electrotherapy has recently been given a new focus, with a range of case reports showing positive results in improving hyperplasia and chronic wound healing [11,12].…”