{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,17]],"date-time":"2026-06-17T22:33:30Z","timestamp":1781735610128,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,20]],"date-time":"2025-01-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1737331200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100007911","name":"University of California, San Diego","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100007911","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Pain Practice"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Nonthermal, pulsed shortwave (radiofrequency) therapy (PSWT) is a nonpharmacologic, noninvasive modality that limited evidence suggests provides analgesia. Its potential favorable risk\u2013benefit ratio stems from its lack of side effects and significant medical risks, applicability to any anatomic location, long treatment duration, and ease of application by simply affixing it with tape. Even with a relatively small treatment effect, PSWT might contribute to a multimodal analgesic regimen, similar to acetaminophen. However, widespread clinical use is hindered by a lack of systematic evidence. The current randomized, controlled pilot study was undertaken to determine the feasibility and optimize the protocol for a subsequent definitive investigation and estimate the treatment effect of PSWT on postoperative pain and opioid consumption.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Within the recovery room following primary knee and hip arthroplasty, cholecystectomy, hernia repair, and non\u2010mastectomy breast surgery, we applied 1\u20133 PSWT devices (Model 088, BioElectronics Corporation, Frederick, Maryland) over the surgical bandages. Participants were randomized to 28\u2009days of either active or sham treatment in a double\u2010masked fashion. The outcomes of primary interest were the cumulative opioid consumption and the mean of the \u201caverage\u201d and \u201cworst\u201d daily pain measured with the Numeric Rating Scale over the first 7 postoperative days.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>During the first 7 postoperative days, oxycodone consumption in participants given active treatment (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200955) was a mean (SD) of 21\u2009mg (24) versus 17\u2009mg (26) in patients given sham (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200957): difference 4 (95% CI, \u22125 to 13), <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.376. During this same period, the \u201caverage\u201d daily pain intensity in patients given active treatment was 2.4 (1.6) versus 2.6 (1.7) in sham: difference \u22120.2 (95% CI \u22120.8 to 0.5), <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.597. Concurrently, the worst\/maximum pain for the active group was 4.6 (2.0) versus 4.7 (2.1) in sham: difference \u22120.1 (95% CI \u22120.8 to 0.7), <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.888. No device\u2010related systemic side effects or serious adverse events were identified.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>Pulsed shortwave (radiofrequency) therapy did not reduce pain scores and opioid requirements to a statistically significant or clinically relevant degree during the initial postoperative week in this pilot study. These results must be replicated with a subsequent study before being considered definitive. Data from this preliminary study may be used to help plan future trials.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/papr.70007","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,20]],"date-time":"2025-01-20T04:56:45Z","timestamp":1737349005000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Wearable, noninvasive, pulsed shortwave (radiofrequency) therapy for postoperative analgesia: A randomized, double\u2010masked, sham\u2010controlled pilot study"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"25","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6144-3273","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Brian M.","family":"Ilfeld","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anesthesiology University California San Diego  La Jolla California USA"},{"name":"The Outcomes Research Consortium, University of Texas, Houston, Houston, Texas"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"suffix":"IV","given":"John 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C.","family":"Broderick","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery University California San Diego  San Diego California USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bryan J.","family":"Sandler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery University California San Diego  San Diego California USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jay J.","family":"Doucet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery University California San Diego  San Diego California USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sandy R.","family":"Hu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine University California San Diego  San Diego California USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brannon J.","family":"Cha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine University California San Diego  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