INTRODUCTION: Lumbar spinal stenosis is a disorder that may cause low back and/or leg pain. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in lomber spinal stenosis. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This study is single-blind randomised controlled study. Fifty patients diagnosed with lomber spinal stenosis were randomised into two groups. Patients in the first group (median age 61 (51 to 84) years) underwent 10 sessions of active pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (25 Hz, 80 gauss) for 15 minutes a day, whereas those in the second group (median age 64 (55 to 77) years) were controls and underwent 10 sessions of placebo pulsed electromagnetic field therapy. The patients were assessed with VAS, the Timed Up and Go test, Oswestry Disability Index and EQ5D-VAS. All tests were completed at baseline, after treatment and at a 3-week follow-up. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients completed the study. The pulsed electromagnetic field therapy group significantly improved VAS score, Oswestry Disability Index and EQ5D-VAS (p < 0.05) after treatment. Significant improvement was sustained after 3-week follow up. In the placebo group, there was no significant change in VAS score, Oswestry Disability Index or EQ5D-VAS (p > 0.05) after treatment. Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy group showed significant improvement than plasebo group in terms of pain severity, Oswestry Disability Index, EQ5D-VAS and Timed Up and Go after treatment and at follow-up (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy appears to be useful in terms of back and/or leg pain, functional mobility, physical disability and general health-related quality of life in lumbar spinal stenosis patients.

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