Literature Review

PRODUCTS & LITERATURE Literature Review

Effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in the management of Osteoarthritis of the knee

Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, Medical University of Vienna; 2009 March

"In conclusion, our study provides evidence for a beneficial effect of pEMF on scores in general and ADL in specific for patients with OA of the knee. Our results showed no significant effect on pain, but left enough space for improvement to significant values in forthcoming, larger studies (28). These findings suggest that pEMF might be a useful and effective addition to the conservative management of OA of the knee. Future studies are needed to prove this assumption right or wrong."

The wonders of magnetism

Tenforde TS. Bioelectromagnetics; 2003 Jan;24(1):3-11

In this acceptance address for the Bioelectromagnetics Society's 2001 d'Arsonval Award, Dr. Tenforde reviews the highlights of the nonionizing field aspects of his research and scientific service career. These are focused in four areas: (a)development and application of microelectrophoretic methods to probe the surface chemistry of normal and cancerous cells; (b)research on the biophysical mechanisms of interaction and the dosimetry of static and extremely low frequency magnetic fields; (c)application of extremely high intensity magnetic fields in several spectroscopic methods for probing the detailed structures of large biological macromolecules; and (d)development of national and international guidelines for the exposure of workers and members of the general public to electromagnetic fields with frequencies spanning the entire nonionizing electromagnetic spectrum.

Prevention of osteoporosis by pulsed electromagnetic fields

Rubin CT, McLeod KJ, Lanyon LE. J Bone Joint Surg Am; 1989 Mar;71(3):411-7

Using an animal model, we examined the use of pulsed electromagnetic fields, induced at a physiological frequency and intensity, to prevent the osteoporosis that is concomitant with disuse. By protecting the left ulnae of turkeys from functional loading, we noted a loss of bone of 13.0 per cent compared with the intact contralateral control ulnae over an eight-week experimental period. Using a treatment regimen of one hour per day of pulsed electromagnetic fields, we observed an osteogenic dose-response to induced electrical power, with a maximum

osteogenic effect between 0.01 and 0.04 tesla per second. Pulse power levels of more or less than these levels were less effective. The maximum osteogenic response was obtained by a decrease in the level of intracortical remodeling, inhibition of endosteal resorption, and stimulation of both periosteal and endosteal new-bone formation. These data suggest that short daily periods of exposure to appropriate electromagnetic fields can beneficially influence the behavior of the cell populations that are responsible for bone-remodeling, and that there is an effective window of induced electrical power in which bone mass can be controlled in the absence of mechanical loading.

Bioelectromagnetics in morphogenesis

Levin M. Bioelectromagnetics; 2003 Jul;24(5):295-315

Understanding the factors that allow biological systems to reliably

self-assemble consistent, highly complex, four dimensional patterns on many scales is crucial for the biomedicine of cancer, regeneration, and birth defects. The role of chemical signaling factors in controlling embryonic morphogenesis has been a central focus in modern developmental biology. While the role of tensile forces is also beginning to be appreciated, another major aspect of physics remains largely neglected by molecular embryology: electromagnetic fields and radiations. The continued progress of molecular approaches to understanding biological form and function in the post genome era now requires the merging of genetics with functional understanding of biophysics and physiology in vivo. The literature contains much data hinting at an important role for bioelectromagnetic phenomena as a mediator of morphogenetic information in many contexts relevant to embryonic development. This review attempts to highlight briefly some of the most promising (and often underappreciated) findings that are of high relevance for understanding the biophysical factors mediating morphogenetic signals in biological systems. These data originate from contexts including embryonic development, neoplasm, and regeneration.

Effects of Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (PEMFs) on Stress

William Pawluk, MD, MSc; 2002 December

There are many approaches to preventing and managing stress reactions. Once a stress reaction is initiated it is difficult to turn off immediately. The reaction is immediate but the recovery takes hours to days. Since the effects of stress are cumulative, a daily routine of reducing the physiologic response becomes necessary to ward off long-term damage. One approach to reducing the physiologic response to the effects of daily stress is whole body pulsed magnetic field (PEMF) therapy.