Medical Research
Circulation
Significant improvement of symptoms, and of all registered parameters of peripheral circulation was established after the therapy. High-frequency pulsating electromagnetic field is recommended for the treatment of diabetic angiopathy. In patients with neuropathic changes it can be used as an introduction procedure. - Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo PMID: 7725151
Neuropathy (Nerve Pain)
The largely unsatisfactory results reported for the pharmacological treatment of diabetic neuropathy has spurred the search for alternative therapies. Frequency-modulated electromagnetic neural stimulation (FREMS) induced a significant reduction in daytime and night-time VAS pain score (all p<0.02). Furthermore, FREMS induced a significant increase in sensory tactile perception, as assessed by monofilament; a decrease in foot vibration perception threshold, as measured by a biothesiometer; and an increase in motor nerve conduction velocity (all p<0.01). No significant changes were observed after placebo. Comparison of measurements at the 4-month follow-up with those at baseline revealed that a significant benefit persisted for all measures that showed an improvement at the end of treatment, with an additional improvement in quality of life (Short Form-36 questionnaire) No significant side effects were recorded during the study. Frequency-modulated electromagnetic neural stimulation (FREMS) is a safe and effective therapy for neuropathic pain in patients with diabetes and is able to modify some parameters of peripheral nerve function. – Diabetologia PMID: 15834546
Clinical and electroneuromyographic studies were performed in 121 patients with diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) before and after courses of treatment with pulsed electromagnetic fields with complex modulation (PEMF-CM) at different frequencies (100 and 10 Hz). The earliest and most significant electroneuromyographic signs of DPN were found to be decreases in the amplitude of the H reflex and the Hmax/Mmax ratio in the muscles of the lower leg. Application of PEMF-CM facilitated regression of the main clinical symptoms of DPN, improved the conductive function of peripheral nerves, improved the state of la afferents, and improved the reflex excitability of functionally diverse motoneurons in the spinal cord. PEMF-CM at 10 Hz was found to have therapeutic efficacy, especially in the initial stages of DPN and in patients with diabetes mellitus for up to 10 years. - Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology PMID: 14635988
Neuropathic pain (NP) from peripheral neuropathy (PN) arises from ectopic firing of unmyelinated C-fibers with accumulation of sodium and calcium channels. Because pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) safely induce extremely low frequency (ELF) quasirectangular currents that can depolarize, repolarize, and hyperpolarize neurons, it was hypothesized that directing this energy into the sole of one foot could potentially modulate neuropathic pain. These pilot data demonstrate that directing PEMF to refractory feet can provide unexpected shortterm analgesic effects in more than 50% of individuals. The role of placebo is not known and was not tested. The precise mechanism is unclear yet suggests that severe and advanced cases are more magnetically sensitive. Future studies are needed with randomized placebo-controlled design and longer treatment periods. - Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair PMID: 15035963
Heart Rate Variability
Exposure to PEMF for 20 minutes resulted in more rapid recovery of heart rate variability, especially in the very low frequency range after physical strain. The study also showed the moderating influence of the subjects' constitutional VLF power on their response to PEMF treatment. These findings have since been replicated in a clinical study and should be taken into consideration when PEMF treatment is chosen. - European Journal of Applied Physiology PMID: 17674028
Wound Healing
Treatment for wounds included two modalities: standard medication and alternating or pulsating magnetic field. Magnetic therapy proved highly effective: wound healing was 3-3.5 times faster while duration of treatment--2-3 times shorter than in standard procedure. Clinically-verified partial adhesion-related intestinal obstruction was eliminated by magnetic procedure in 18 children after combined treatment for lymphosarcoma involving the ileum. - Volpr Onkol PMID: 11147428
Pulsed radio frequency energy was used as an adjunct to basic wound care of 3 large, long-standing (6 years) stage III and IV pressure ulcers that were unresponsive to conventional therapy. The ulcer on the right foot healed within 4 weeks, the left heel ulcer reduced in size by 95% at 7 months, and the large sacral ulcer healed to closure in 11 months. Conclusion: Pulsed radio frequency energy treatment with basic wound care, if administered early in the course of pressure ulcer therapy, might avoid the lengthy hospitalizations and repeated surgical procedures necessary for treatment of uncontrolled ulcers, reducing the overall cost of treatment and improving the quality of life for chronically ill or injured patients. - Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery PMID: 19008935
This study demonstrates that pulsed electromagnetic fields are able to accelerate wound healing under diabetic and normal conditions by up-regulation of FGF-2-mediated angiogenesis. They also prevented tissue necrosis in response to a standardized ischemic insult, suggesting that noninvasive angiogenic stimulation by pulsed electromagnetic fields may be useful to prevent ulcer formation, necrosis, and amputation in diabetic patients. – Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery PMID: 18176216