# Comparative Analysis of the Effects of Functional Magnetic Stimulation and Interferential Current on Pain Control in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

## TL;DR

This study compares two non-invasive treatments for knee osteoarthritis pain and finds that functional magnetic stimulation is more effective than interferential current therapy.

## Contribution

The study provides a direct comparison of FMS and IFC for pain control in knee osteoarthritis.

## Key findings

- FMS significantly reduced pain scores more than IFC in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
- Both FMS and IFC showed significant pain reduction, but FMS had a greater median change in pain scores.
- The results suggest FMS may be a superior non-invasive treatment for knee osteoarthritis pain.

## Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the analgesic effects of functional magnetic stimulation (FMS) and interferential current therapy (IFC) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) before and after treatment.

Methods: This prospective pilot study included 30 patients with KOA, who were randomly assigned to two groups: FMS (n = 15) and IFC (n = 15). Both groups received 20 treatment sessions over four weeks. Pain intensity was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) pre- and post-treatment. Non-parametric statistical tests were applied due to the small sample size and non-normal distribution of the data.

Results: In the FMS group, the median VAS score decreased significantly from pre-intervention (Me = 7.0; IQR, 5.0-7.0) to post-intervention (Me = 2.0; IQR, 1.0-2.0), with z = −3.43, p < 0.001. In the IFC group, there was also a significant decrease in the median VAS score from pre-intervention (Me = 7.0; IQR, 5.5-8.0) to post-intervention (Me = 5.0; IQR, 4.0-6.0), z = −3.47, p < 0.001. The Mann-Whitney U test demonstrated a statistically significant difference; the median ΔVAS was significantly higher in the FMS group (Me = 4; IQR, 3.5-6.0) than in the IFC group (Me = 2; IQR, 1.0-2.0) (U = 45, Z = −4.576, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: FMS may be a more effective non-invasive treatment option for pain reduction in patients with KOA compared with IFC.