A Study to Evaluate PEMF Therapy on Experimentally Inducted Pain in Subjects With Painful Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy

This is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled crossover clinical trial conducted on subjects with painful peripheral diabetic neuropathy. Eligible subjects will include those between 22 and 80 years of age with Type 2 diabetes having persistent pain, numbness, tingling, and/or burning in at least one foot. Pain threshold, tolerance to thermal stimuli and pressure response to the induced pain stimuli will be measured at three time points using five standardized experimental pain measures: baseline, after a single 30 minute treatment with active PEMF or sham treatment and after a second 30 minute treatment with active PEMF or sham treatment. Eligible subjects with painful peripheral diabetic neuropathy will undergo Diabetic Screening (Nerve Conduction Velocity, Skin Perfusion Pressure, Ankle-Brachial Index, and Vibratory Testing) in the index foot prior to randomization. Following the Diabetic Screening tests, subjects will return to the research center for the Enrollment/Randomization Visit and complete measures of pain by completing the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and functional assessments. Subjects will then be randomly assigned to one of the two groups; control (sham) or experimental (active) device by a research assistant blinded to the device status. Patients will also be randomly assigned to the sequence order of experimental induced pain tests. The ischemic pain testing (SMET) will always be conducted last. Patients will return to the research center within 7 days after the Enrollment/Randomization Visit where they will be crossed over to the other treatment assignment and be randomly assigned to the sequence order of experimental induced pain tests on the same extremity as previously randomized.