Research and Studies

Research and Clinical Literature

See the research
behind the technology.

Explore 13 studies and case reports on spinal decompression, laser therapy, magnetic stimulation, PEMF and chiropractic care. These summaries are provided for education and are not a promise of individual results.

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Evidence matters

Research can help explain why a treatment is considered.

Clinical studies can provide useful information about how a technology has been evaluated, what outcomes were measured and how patients in a particular study responded.

They cannot tell us exactly how any one patient will respond. That is why we use research as one piece of the clinical decision — alongside your history, examination findings, diagnosis and response to care.

Important context

The research below includes both controlled clinical research and case-study evidence. Study populations, treatment protocols and outcomes differ, so results should not be generalized to every patient or condition.

Each entry links to its published abstract, full-text article or original PDF. This is a selected reading collection, not a systematic review of all available evidence.

Research articles

Selected studies and case reports.

4 research articles

Spinal decompression

Four studies examining decompression for lumbar disc problems, with controlled trials presented alongside observational evidence. Devices and treatment plans differ between studies.

Randomized controlled trial · 2022

Decompression added to physical therapy

For patients with lumbar radiculopathy, adding non-surgical decompression to routine physical therapy produced greater improvements in pain, disability and several physical measures after four weeks than physical therapy alone.

Amjad et al. · BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Read study on PubMed →

What was comparedDecompression plus physical therapy versus physical therapy alone.

Keep in mindThis was a combined treatment with short-term follow-up; it does not isolate decompression as a stand-alone treatment.

Randomized controlled trial · 2022

Decompression, leg pain and disc volume

A trial of 60 patients with subacute lumbar disc herniation compared decompression with a nondecompression group. Researchers reported reduced herniated-disc volume on MRI, less leg pain at two months and improved function at three months.

Choi et al. · International Journal of Clinical Practice

Read study on PubMed →

Device studiedSpine MTK-1; the findings apply to the protocol tested.

Keep in mindA small trial with limited follow-up cannot establish permanent disc repair or equivalent results with other devices.

Single-blind randomized trial · 2018

DRX9000 versus conventional traction

Both conventional motorized traction and DRX9000 decompression improved pain and functional measures in patients with lumbar disc herniation. The study did not find DRX9000 superior to conventional traction.

Koçak et al. · Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Read study on PubMed →

What was comparedTwo active traction-based treatments.

Keep in mindImprovement within a treatment group does not establish that a branded device works better than another approach.

Retrospective cohort · 2010

Disc height and pain after decompression

In records from 30 patients treated with DRX9000 over six weeks, increased disc height was associated with reduced back pain. This provides an observational finding for further research.

Apfel et al. · BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Read study on PubMed →

Study designA review of existing patient records, without a control group.

Keep in mindAssociation does not prove that treatment caused the changes, regenerated a disc or prevented surgery.

3 studies and case reports

Laser therapy

The existing collection includes MLS case reports and a low-level laser trial. Case reports describe individual experiences; low-level laser research is not automatically evidence for an MLS device.

MLS Laser Therapy · Case Report

Effects of MLS Laser Therapy on Post-Traumatic Stiff Elbow

A 63-year-old patient recovering from fractures of the distal humerus and olecranon underwent a seven-day rehabilitation protocol that combined MLS Laser Therapy with kinesiotherapy.

This was a case-based rehabilitation report, so the findings describe one patient's response and should not be interpreted as a guaranteed result.

View the full study PDF ›

80° → 100° Reported elbow flexion

50° → 40° Reported contracture

5 cm → 3 cm Reported swelling

70 mm → 40 mm Reported VAS pain score

24 → 63 Reported Mayo Elbow Score

Low-Level Laser Therapy · Randomized Trial

Low-Level Laser Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis

In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 27 patients with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis received active low-level laser therapy or placebo treatment over four weeks.

The active-treatment group showed improvement in several reported measures, while the placebo group did not show comparable improvement in the reported outcomes.

View the full study PDF ›

5.75 → 1.18 Reported VAS pain score

105.8° → 122.9° Reported joint flexion

2.33 → 0.77 Reported pressure sensitivity

2 months Reported persistence of benefits after treatment

MLS Laser Therapy · Disc Herniation Case Study

Application of MLS Therapy on Disc Herniation With Radiculopathy

This case study followed a 17-year-old female with severe low-back pain and radiculopathy associated with an L4-L5 disc herniation who received MLS Laser Therapy over a seven-month period.

Because this was a single case report, it demonstrates one documented response rather than proving that the same outcome will occur in other patients.

View the full case study PDF ›

10/10 → 1/10 Reported VAS pain score

50% Reported pain reduction within the first four weeks

90 days Reported follow-up period after treatment

Return to activity Reported improvement in daily activity and range of motion

2 research articles

HEIT: related magnetic stimulation research

These studies examine repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS), a related technology. They are not direct clinical evidence for the emFieldPro device or our exact HEIT protocol.

Pilot randomized trial · 2018

Peripheral magnetic stimulation for acute back pain

This pilot compared active with sham peripheral magnetic stimulation in acute low back pain. The active group experienced greater pain relief; participants also received physical therapy and medication.

Lim et al. · Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine

Read study on PubMed →

What was studiedA preliminary trial of rPMS alongside other care.

Keep in mindPilot findings need confirmation. The device and treatment settings should not be assumed to match emFieldPro.

Double-blind randomized trial · 2024

Magnetic stimulation with core training

In chronic nonspecific low back pain, active rPMS combined with core muscle training improved pain and selected postural-control measures more than sham stimulation with training.

Cortical Mechanisms Underlying Effects of Repetitive Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation… · Pain and Therapy

Read study on PubMed →

What was comparedActive versus sham rPMS, combined with exercise.

Keep in mindThis evaluates a combined protocol and selected balance measures, not every outcome or every magnetic therapy device.

2 research articles

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy

Research on PEMF includes different field strengths, devices and exposure times. These studies should not be read as proof of the same outcomes with the Pulse device or our office protocol.

Double-blind randomized trial · 2016

PEMF for knee osteoarthritis

A placebo-controlled trial reported improvements in knee osteoarthritis pain and physical functioning after four weeks of PEMF treatment. The study used a wearable device with prolonged daily exposure.

Bagnato et al. · Rheumatology

Read study on PubMed →

What was studiedKnee osteoarthritis symptoms over four weeks.

Keep in mindWearable-device findings do not establish the effects of shorter in-office sessions or demonstrate cartilage regrowth.

Double-blind randomized trial · 2020

PEMF with exercise for chronic low back pain

Researchers compared PEMF plus therapeutic exercise with placebo treatment plus exercise. The active group improved more rapidly in pain and disability, but the authors did not conclude that PEMF was superior to other treatment options.

Alzayed and Alsaadi · Asian Spine Journal

Read study on PubMed →

What was comparedActive versus placebo magnetic therapy alongside exercise.

Keep in mindResults depend on the treatment settings and follow-up period. This does not establish a general advantage over other care.

2 research articles

Chiropractic and spinal manipulation

These trials evaluate spinal manipulation for specific neck and back complaints. They help inform treatment decisions alongside exercise, examination findings and patient preferences.

Randomized trial · 2012

Manipulation, medication or home exercise for neck pain

For acute and subacute neck pain, spinal manipulation performed better than medication for pain at several follow-up points. Home exercise with advice produced similar pain outcomes to manipulation.

Bronfort et al. · Annals of Internal Medicine

Read study on PubMed →

What was comparedSpinal manipulation, medication and home exercise with advice.

Keep in mindThe study found no important pain difference between manipulation and home exercise; it does not show manipulation is necessary for everyone.

Randomized controlled trial · 2014

Spinal manipulation for chronic low back pain

A 400-person trial compared different numbers of spinal manipulation sessions with a light-massage control. Benefits for pain and disability were modest and varied by follow-up time; differences at 24 weeks were negligible.

Haas et al. · The Spine Journal

Read study on PubMed →

What was studiedZero, six, twelve or eighteen manipulation sessions within a course of visits.

Keep in mindThese results do not establish one ideal visit schedule for every patient. Care should be adjusted to diagnosis and response.

Research is a guide, not a guarantee

Good evidence helps inform care.
It does not replace the evaluation.

A study can show that a treatment produced certain outcomes in a particular group or case. Your diagnosis, severity, health history and treatment response still determine whether that technology makes sense for you.

How to interpret research

Three things to keep in mind.

Study design matters

Randomized controlled trials generally provide stronger evidence than individual case reports, although both can provide useful clinical information.

Different devices are not interchangeable

Device settings, field strengths, wavelengths and treatment protocols vary between studies. Research involving one system should not automatically be treated as proof for every device or treatment program.

Individual results vary

The outcomes reported in a study describe the patients who participated in that research. They do not guarantee the same result for another patient.

Research meets clinical evaluation

Find out whether one of these
treatments fits your case.

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See the research behind the technology.

Research can help explain why a treatment is considered.

Important context

Selected studies and case reports.

Spinal decompression

Decompression added to physical therapy

Decompression, leg pain and disc volume

DRX9000 versus conventional traction

Disc height and pain after decompression

Laser therapy

Effects of MLS Laser Therapy on Post-Traumatic Stiff Elbow

Low-Level Laser Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis

Application of MLS Therapy on Disc Herniation With Radiculopathy

HEIT: related magnetic stimulation research

Peripheral magnetic stimulation for acute back pain

Magnetic stimulation with core training

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy

PEMF for knee osteoarthritis

PEMF with exercise for chronic low back pain

Chiropractic and spinal manipulation

Manipulation, medication or home exercise for neck pain

Spinal manipulation for chronic low back pain

Good evidence helps inform care. It does not replace the evaluation.

Three things to keep in mind.

Study design matters

Different devices are not interchangeable

Individual results vary

Find out whether one of these treatments fits your case.

See the research
behind the technology.

Good evidence helps inform care.
It does not replace the evaluation.

Find out whether one of these
treatments fits your case.