Articles

There have been numerous studies carried out that demonstrate either a direct or indirect effect of magnetic fields on the health and / or well-being of humans and animals. Here is just a small selection of the more recent studies.

Electromagnetic fields and magnets

Author:

David H. Trock

Magazine: Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America, 26; 1 (2000)

The author describes the development of PEMF therapy (pulsed electromagnetic field) through a last-ditch attempt to save the leg of a one-year-old child before amputation. PEMF therapy therefore became a standard treatment for non-healing bone fractures with the approval by the FDA in 1979.

The development of magnet therapy from alternative to traditional medicine

Author:

Carlos Valibona, Todd Richards

Magazine: Physical Medicin and Rehabilitation Clinic of North America, 10; 3(1999)

The author appraises the status of magnetic field therapy based on studies which meet the requirements of medical science. As a quality criterion, he accepts only studies that have been included in Medilno. This medical database, which is the largest in the world, is based in the USA. It documents only studies that have been published in journals with peer review.

Pain-relieving properties of electromagnetic fields in patients with chronic pelvic pain

Author:

G. Varcaccio-Garofalo, C. Carriero, M. R. Loizzo, S. Amoruso, P. Loizzi

Magazine: Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol, 22 (4):350-4 (1995)

The analysis of the data indicates that the positive effect of the magnetic field was independent of the women's psycho-social situation. In contrast, the freedom from pain resolved or improved additional problems such as anxiety states, somatisation of the pain and dyspareunia.

Electrochemical treatment of pelvic pain: effects of pulsing electromagnetic fields (PEFMF) on connective tissue injuries

Author:

W. A. Jorgensen, B. M. Frome, Ch. Wallach

Magazine: Eur J Surg Suppl 574:83-86 (1994)

18 out of 20 episodes of gynaecological pelvic pain (89.5%) were successfully treated in an unusually short time (15-30 m) through the brief application of electromagnetic impulses at high amplitude and very low average intensity in a non-thermal range.

Initial investigation of pulsed electromagnetic fields in the treatment of migraine

Author:

Richard A. Sherman, Linda Robson, Linda A. Marden

Magazine: Headache, 38; 208-213 (1998)

Various double-blind studies have demonstrated that an increased in peripheral perfusion reduced the frequency of migraine attacks. This can be achieved in some patients through bio-feedback methods if they learn the technique.

Pulsed electromagnetic fields for the treatment of bone fractures

Author:

A. Sattar Syed, M. S. Islam, K. S. Rabbani, M. S. Talukder

Magazine: Bangladesh Med. Res. Counc. Bull. 25; (1), 6-10 (1999)

Out of the 19 patients originally treated, data was only available at the end of the study for 13, since the others had prematurely left the hospital due to successful healing.

Therapy with pulsed electromagnetic fields in aseptic loosening of total hip endoprostheses: a prospective study

Author:

K. Konrad, K. Sevcic, K. Földes, F. Piroska, E. Molnár

Magazine: Clinical Rheumatology, 15; No. 4, 325-328 (1996)

The resolution of pain and improved mobility demonstrate that PEMF is an effective method for alleviating the symptoms of patients with hip endoprothesis loosening.

Conservative treatment of femoral head necrosis

Author:

Roy K. Aaron, Dennis Lennox, Gail E. Bunce and Thea Ebert

Magazine: Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research 62 (249) : 209-18, Dec (1989)

The frequency of clinically and radiologically documented progression of osteonecrosis of the femoral head was reduced in this study both as a result of relief and through the use of PEMF, compared to the assumed natural progression in patients treated conservatively of a period of 2-3 years. The clinical result from PEMF treatment was better than that achieved by decompression, especially in hips with Ficat II lesions.

Pulsed electromagnetic therapy with low energy and high frequency for acute whiplash injury

Author:

Darragh Foley-Nolan, Kieran Moore, Mary Codd, Ciaran Barry, Peter O'Connor and Robert J. Coughlan

Magazine: Scand J Rehab Med 24:51-59 (1992)

The results of this and earlier studies invite the assumption that PEMF at low energy and high frequency, when used daily for 8 hours, is an effective method for treating acute and persistent neck pain.

The effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee and cervical spine

Author:

David H. Trock, Alfred Jay Bollet and Richard Markoll

Magazine: Journal of Rheumatology, 21; 1903-11 (1994)

In this double-blind study, a significant placebo effect was observed which is typical for new forms of treatment. In contrast to pain therapy with medications, the effect of PEMF still lasts 4 weeks after treatment ends.

Double-blind study on the clinical effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on osteoarthritis

Author:

David H. Trock, Alfred Jay Bollet, Richard H. Dyer, Jr., L. Peter Fielding, W. Kenneth Miner and Richard Markoll

Magazine: The Journal of Rheumatology, 20:456-60,1993

The reduction in pain and improved joint function indicate that pulsed electromagnetic fields are able to achieve an improvement in the symptoms of patients with osteoarthritis.

Therapeutic effects of pulsed magnetic fields in joint diseases

Author:

E. Riva Sanseverino, A. Vannini and P. Castellacci

Magazine: Panminerva Med, 34:187-96 (1992)

In this study, we investigated the affected joints of some patients with thermographic methods and discovered vasodilatation shortly after PEMF use. Warnke et al. described a similar observation, having measured an increase in hand temperature following treatment with a 30 Gauss (20 Hz) PEMF.

Sleep-inducing effect of low-energy emission therapy

Author:

M. Reite, L. Higgs, J.-P. Lebet, A. Barbault, C. Rossel, N. Kuster, U. Dafni, D. Amato and B. Pasche

Magazine: Bioelectromagnetics; 15:67-75 (1994)

These varying results indicate that the activity of the human brain can be changed by extremely low (amplitude-modulated) electromagnetic fields.

Relationship of the coil - cortex distance to age, motor threshold and anti-depressive effect of repeated trans-cranial magnet stimulation

Author:

F. Andrew Kozel, Ziad Nahas, Cart de Brux, Monica Molloy, Jeffrey P. Lorberbaum, Daryl Bohning, S. Craig Risch, Mark S. George

Magazine: J Neuropsychiatry Gun Neurosci 12:3; 376-384 (2000)

Despite the significant limitations of this study, the data provides fascinating results that demand further investigation involving the combination of imaging methods with repetitive trans-cranial magnet stimulation.

Double-blind study on the effect of a pulsed magnetic field on multiple sclerosis

Author:

T. L. Richards, M. S. Lappin, J. Acosta-Urquidi, G. H. Kraft, A. C. Heide, F. W. Lawrie, T. E. Merrill, G. B. Melton and C. A. Cunningham

Magazine: The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine Vol. 3, No 1, 21-29 (1997)

With this placebo-controlled double-blind study, we were able to demonstrate a statistically significant effect of PEMF treatment (Anermed magnetic pulse device) on the patient's performance and on the extent of alpha EEGs during a language task.

Effect of electrical and electromagnetic stimulation following reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament

Author:

Dean P. Currier, J. Michael Ray, John Nyland, James G. Roonly, J. Tim Noteboom, Robert Kellog

Magazine: JOSPT, 17; 4, Apr (1993)

The circumference of the thigh reduced slightly in the NMES / PEMF group, presumably because the stimulation was 50 seconds shorter (10 sec. of contraction duration instead of 15), whereas in the NMES group it remained virtually constant.

Update on extracorporeal magnet therapy for stress incontinence

Author:

Niall 1. M. Galloway, El-Galley, Peter K. Sand, Rodney A. Appell, H. W. Russell und S. J. Carlin

Magazine: Urology 56, SuppL 6A: 82-86 (2000)

Pulsed magnetic fields generate weak eddy currents in the tissue. Nerve tissue responds particularly sensitively to these eddy currents. The key to the effectiveness of Exmi (PEMF) is the depolarisation of nerve fibres. This depolarisation takes place both in the sensory afferent nerve fibres and in the autonomic fibres, which regulate local circulation and other factors.

A study on the effects of treatment with a pulsed electromagnetic field in rheumatoid arthritis with reference to serological grouping

Author:

K. S. Ganguly, A. K. Sarkar, A. K. Datta, A. Rakshit

Magazine: J Indian Med. Assoc. 96 (9); 272-5 (1998)

PEMF works by improving the vascular circulation, removing lactic acid etc. and increasing the partial oxygen pressure, as well as by increasing the ATP content of tissue, thereby eliminating the factors that are responsible for prolonging pain and swelling.

The effect of a pulsed magnetic field on patients with endocrine ophthalmopathy

Author:

J. Jankauskiene, A. Paunksnis, A. Bluziene, J. Saulgozis

Magazine: European Journal of Ophthalmology Vol. 8, No 4, 253-257 (1998)

Following treatment with PEMF, 64.2% of patients had an improvement in the conjunctival parameter and in 14.3% of patients the signs of inflammation disappeared completely.

Pulsed magnetic fields improve the activity of osteoblasts during the regeneration of an experimental bony defect

Author:

V. Cane, P. Botti and S. Soana

Magazine: Journal of Orthopaedic Research; 11:664-670 (1993)

These provisional results confirm that PEMF at low frequencies not only stimulates bone healing, but also appears to improve the osseous phase of the healing process, at least under our experimental conditions.