Effect of Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation in Patients With Chronic Lower Back Pain

The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of Repeated Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation (rPMS) in patients with chronic low back pain. This is a controlled, randomized, multicenter clinical trial (Brazil x Portugal). The sample will consist of individuals with chronic low back pain with a score between 40 and 80 on the Oswestry scale, who will be randomly divided into 2 groups: control (CG) and intervention (IG). The instruments used for evaluation will be: visual analog pain scale (VAS), brief pain inventory (BPI), McGill questionnaire, Roland Morris scale and WHOQOL-BREF. Both groups will use the EMP device, with 10 sessions over a period of 2 weeks, in the IG applied in the flat tangential orientation lasting 20 minutes and an intermittent stimulation protocol consisting of 5 seconds of stimulation at a frequency of 20 Hz followed by 25 seconds of rest with a minimum intensity of 20% up to the maximum intensity to induce sufficient contraction of the paraspinal muscle and in the CG in transverse orientation with the stimulus intensity level set at 5% of the maximum output of the stimulator to minimize stimulation, both in the most painful lumbar region. The Wilcoxon test will be applied. Then, the Mann-Whitney test will be applied, adopting a significance level of 5%. It is expected that this research will contribute to more accurate protocols and evaluation methods for the EMP intervention, which generates responses in pain relief and non-surgical treatment.