EMTT Therapy in Nevada City, CA
A powerful, noninvasive treatment for painful joints, tendons, muscles, and the spine.
Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy delivers high-energy electromagnetic pulses that “turn cells on,” reduce pain, and support healing — offered at Sierra Spine & Fitness, serving Nevada City, Grass Valley, and the Sierra Foothills.
EMTT treatment in progress
EMTT is a comfortable, noninvasive treatment that stimulates the body at the cellular level — helping “turn cells on,” reduce pain, improve function, and create a more favorable environment for healing. At Sierra Spine & Fitness, we use EMTT as part of a diagnosis-guided plan to optimize outcomes — not as a one-size-fits-all treatment.
Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy
EMTT is a noninvasive treatment that delivers rapidly changing, high-energy electromagnetic pulses into the treatment area. These pulses pass through clothing and reach both superficial and deeper tissues. Unlike shockwave therapy, EMTT does not use an acoustic pressure wave or mechanically strike the tissue.
EMTT belongs to the same broad family as pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF), but it delivers much stronger magnetic fields with far more rapid oscillations than many conventional PEMF products. This allows a large number of treatment pulses to reach the target area during a relatively short office visit.
It “turns cells on.”
A simple way to think about EMTT is that it turns cells on. The treatment isn’t burning, damaging, or forcing tissue into place. Instead, its changing electromagnetic field provides a potent healing stimulus that activates cell signaling involved in circulation, inflammation control, repair, and tissue remodeling.
Tendon cells became more active — human tenocytes exposed to EMTT showed greater migration and increased expression of genes involved in tendon health, collagen production, and matrix remodeling, with a reduction in a marker associated with cellular aging. [4]
Bone-forming cells also responded — human osteoblast experiments found increased activity of bone-building genes and faster formation of mineralized matrix, helping explain why EMTT is studied as a way to support difficult bone healing. [3]
Together, these effects help calm pain, improve the tissue environment, and support the body’s own adaptive and repair processes — optimizing cells to respond to exercise, shockwave, and the activities of daily living.
Real clinical trials, not just testimonials.
EMTT research now includes randomized human trials showing meaningful improvements in pain and physical function for several musculoskeletal conditions.
Degenerative joint, tendon-attachment & spinal conditions
In the strongest broad clinical trial to date, 126 adults with knee osteoarthritis, rotator-cuff enthesopathy, or age-related lumbar spine degeneration received real EMTT or a sham treatment. After eight weekly sessions, EMTT produced significantly better physical function and substantially less pain — average pain about 2.2/10 with EMTT vs 4.2/10 with sham at follow-up. [5]
Rotator-cuff tendinopathy
In a randomized trial of 86 people with rotator-cuff tendinopathy, patients who received EMTT together with shockwave therapy experienced greater pain relief and better shoulder function than shockwave with sham EMTT — the added benefit was still present at 24-week follow-up. [2]
Nonspecific low-back pain
In a randomized study of 88 people with nonspecific low-back pain, adding eight EMTT sessions to usual conservative care produced greater improvements in both pain and disability than conservative care alone. [1]
Osteoarthritis of the midfoot
A 2026 pilot study treated people with advanced midfoot osteoarthritis. After eight EMTT sessions, daily-function scores improved from about 62% at the start to about 82% at six months, pain decreased, and no treatment-related adverse events were reported. [7]
Bone healing & nonunion
A 2026 review found a promising pattern across laboratory studies, a pilot clinical study, and reports involving delayed bone healing or nonunion — often combined with shockwave therapy. One recent case documented complete healing of a postsurgical nonunion four weeks after a combined five-session course. Larger controlled trials are still needed. [6,8]
Bottom line: The results show meaningful improvements in pain and physical function for several musculoskeletal conditions — not just theories or testimonials.
What does treatment feel like?
- The applicator is held over or near the painful region.
- Clothing can often remain in place if it has no metallic fibers or objects.
- A session commonly lasts about 5–20 minutes, depending on the device and clinical plan.
- You may feel tapping, pulsing, tingling, or mild muscle contraction.
- Treatment intensity can be adjusted for comfort.
How EMTT fits into care at Sierra Spine & Fitness
Treatment starts with diagnostic certainty. After a focused history and examination — and diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound or digital X-ray when appropriate — we use EMTT where it is most likely to help. Depending on the diagnosis, it may be combined with focused or radial shockwave therapy, laser therapy, targeted rehabilitation, and progressive loading to create a more complete healing environment.
Our goal is to optimize outcomes, not simply place a machine over the painful area. We identify the likely pain generator, direct treatment accurately, measure improvement, and progressively rebuild strength and tissue capacity. EMTT can provide a powerful stimulus, while rehabilitation helps the tissue adapt to the demands of everyday life, work, and sport.
EMTT delivers a potent, noninvasive healing stimulus. Human trials show positive outcomes in pain and function, while laboratory studies show increased activity in tendon and bone cells. We use it to help optimize outcomes within a complete plan that may also include precise diagnosis, shockwave therapy, laser therapy, and progressive rehabilitation.
Sources & cited research
- Krath A, Klüter T, Stukenberg M, et al. Electromagnetic transduction therapy in non-specific low back pain: a prospective randomised controlled trial. Journal of Orthopaedics. 2017;14(3):410–415. DOI: 10.1016/j.jor.2017.06.016
- Klüter T, Krath A, Stukenberg M, et al. Electromagnetic transduction therapy and shockwave therapy in 86 patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy: a prospective randomized controlled trial. Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine. 2018;37(4):175–183. DOI: 10.1080/15368378.2018.1499030
- Gerdesmeyer L, et al. Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy as a new form of electromagnetic wave therapy: from gene upregulation to accelerated matrix mineralization in bone healing. Biomedicines. 2024;12(10):2269. DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12102269
- Mancini M, Vetrano M, Traversa A, et al. Electromagnetic Transduction Therapy (EMTT) enhances tenocyte regenerative potential: evidence for senolytic-like effects and matrix remodeling. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025;26(15):7122. DOI: 10.3390/ijms26157122
- Hollander K, Burgkart R, von Eisenhart-Rothe R, Vester J, Gerdesmeyer L. Extracorporeal magnetotransduction therapy (EMTT) for management of musculoskeletal disorders: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial. Journal of International Medical Research. 2025/2026. DOI: 10.1177/10538127251400083
- Charles R, Vlasak A, Turner T, Romero J, Bondi E. Extracorporeal magnetotransduction therapy as an adjunctive and primary modality for bone healing: a scoping review. Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine. 2026;45(3):313–320. DOI: 10.1080/15368378.2026.2648306
- Charles R, Vlasak A, Bondi E. Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy (EMTT) for midfoot osteoarthritis: a prospective pilot study. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association. 2026;116(4):51. DOI: 10.3390/japma116040051
- Ringeisen M, Bondi E, Saxena A, Gerdesmeyer L. Successful treatment of nonunion after high tibial osteotomy using combined EMTT and ESWT: a case report. Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine. 2026. DOI: 10.1080/15368378.2026.2710706
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 510(k) Premarket Notification K203710: STORZ MEDICAL MAGNETOLITH Muscle Stimulator. Decision date May 3, 2021.
- STORZ MEDICAL. Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy: Frequently Asked Questions. Patient information; accessed September 1, 2026.
Common conditions EMTT can help
Schedule an EMTT consultation.
If you’re dealing with persistent joint, tendon, muscle, or spine pain in Nevada City or Grass Valley, contact Sierra Spine & Fitness to find out whether EMTT — as part of a diagnosis-guided plan — is right for you.
582 Searls Ave, Nevada City, CA 95959
- Monday9:00am – 1:00pm, 2:00pm – 6:00pm
- Tuesday9:00am – 1:30pm, 2:00pm – 4:00pm
- Wednesday9:00am – 1:00pm, 2:00pm – 6:00pm
- ThursdayClosed
- Friday9:00am – 4:00pm
- Saturday & SundayClosed