Additive effect of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) on Hip Flexor Contracture in Post Polio Syndrome (PPS)

Background and Purpose: Polio is a viral infection, mainly affecting the children under the age of 5years.Recurrence of pain, fatigue and weakness of muscles many years after the onset of polio are the characteristic of post polio syndrome(PPS). Many patients develops contracture in a weakened muscles due to disuse, there are studies that indicate separate benefit of PEMF and stretching in reducing pain and increasing ROM, but there is no clear cut study available in the literature to prove combined effects of PEMF and stretching in patients with PPS, hence there exist the purpose and background for the genesis of the study.

Methodology: 40 symptomatic subjects of both sexes fulfilling inclusion criteria were randomly taken, divided into 2 Groups, each of 20 subjects. (Hip flexor angle)Thomas test and visual Analog scale (VAS)were the outcome measures . Comparison of hip flexor angle and VAS score were done separately using paired student t test within experimental and control group. (p value at 0.05).Comparison of hip flexor angle and VAS score were done separately using unpaired student t test between the two Groups (p value at 0.05).

Results: Mean and standard deviation of hip flexor angle for experimental and controlled group at the beginning of treatment were 30.25±12.822 and 24.75± 10.572.post treatment were 15.50 ± 9.583 and 15.50 ± 9.584.Mean and standard derivation of VAS at the beginning treatment were 5.25 ± 2.124and 5.30 ± 2.342. VAS post treatment were 2.45 ± 1.905 and 4.05 ± 1.234. Although the results indicated the both PEMF and stretching produces significant improvement in relieving pain and hip ROM at the end of treatment program when compared with the pretreatment values. PEMF with stretching showed greater improvement when compared to only stretching in patients with PPS which was statistically significant (p value=< 0.05). PEMF in combination with stretching shows a significant improvement in relieving pain and reducing hip flexor contracture at the end of 15 treatment session compared to only stretching in patients with PPS.