This article is a work in progress.
Mechanisms
PEMFs influence cell activity, the autonomic nervous system and the blood flow.
Achieving homeostasis in the face of acute inflammatory/immune challenges in the human body involves maintaining a balance of highly complex biochemical and cellular interactions, such as cytokine expression and signal transduction. When this delicate balance is upset, acute inflammatory and immune responses designed to quickly eliminate a transient threat become chronic, and inflammatory and/or autoimmune disease sets in. The importance of maintaining healthy cytokine expression during this impactful time cannot be overstated. Our feasibility study shows that PEMF has the potential to regulate this very delicate balance.
PEMF may regulate the catabolic factor, MMP13, and inhibit cartilage destruction, at least partially, by inhibiting MAPKs signaling pathway.
Mechanisms and therapeutic effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in oncology
Changes in blood pressure, skin electrical resistance, and pulse amplitude in 163 oncology patients exposed to tumor‐specific PEMF frequencies have also been reported suggesting that PEMF therapy does not only target neoplastic cells, but may also have systemic effects.
It was reported that ANS [autonomic nervous system] imbalance is associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain. This common physiological disfunction is defined as a pain that affects bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and even nerves; it comprises a number of different pain syndromes such as chronic neck pain, shoulder pain, low back pain, and also pain associated with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Our findings shed light on the effectiveness of PAPIMI device in inducing a health status-related parasympathetic response, as indirectly shown by an increased HRV [heart rate variability], in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. A possible hypothesis that could explain such effect is related to the influence PEMFs have on the membrane potential of body cells.
…an impaired blood-flow regulation in the affected tissue in patients with chronic pain was reported. This degradation in microcirculation is speculated to reduce the level of oxygen and alter natural membrane potential (approximately −73 mV), which is crucial for transport regulation and signal transmission in healthy cells. PEMFs, when applied on the affected area, were shown to induce cells to generate weak microelectrical currents that in turn can influence ions’ concentration, distribution, and flux, which are known to determine and establish the cell membrane potential. Therefore, the exposure of the injured area to PAPIMI inductor might enhance the regulation in the transport of ions across the plasmatic membrane, thus contributing to raising cells to their healthy voltage potential.
Exercise Performance
PEMF stimulation has an effect on muscle activity during low-intensity exercises but does not seem to affect muscle during heavy-load exercises…PEMFs might be used at a high intensity of physical effort or during hard work-out sessions. PEMF stimulation could also be applied during warm-up to raise the amplitude of muscular responses during the preparatory activity of different performances such as jumps, shots or sprints. PEMF stimulation could also be applied during light exercise or low aerobic intensity in order to increase the overall muscular response.
Patients in the active PEMF group had a higher level of function and less pain at all follow-up time frames compared with baseline.
Effects of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy on delayed-onset muscle soreness in biceps brachii
PEMF was found to be effective in reducing the physiological deficits associated with DOMS, including improved recovery of perceived muscle soreness, MDF, and EMD during isometric contraction. Our results did not show that PEMF treatment was mechanically more effective for isometric peak torque generation compared to the sham group.
Chronic Pain
Taking into account the low risk of side effects and the high tolerance of PEMFs intervention, findings from our pilot study indicate that PAPIMI inductor could be considered a potentially promising device in clinical practice for the treatment and management of chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Pain reduction obtained with PEMFs enhanced practicing therapeutic exercises leading to a better recovery process; this is extremely important in addressing the expectations of young patients, who wish to return to sporting activities.
Effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in lateral epicondylitis
[Visual Analog Scale] values during activity and pain levels during resisted wrist dorsiflexion were significantly lower in Group III than Group I at the third week. Group I patients had lower pain during rest, activity and nighttime than Group III at third month. PEMF seems to reduce lateral epicondylitis pain better than sham PEMF.
Subjective reports of pain reported on the [visual analog scale] showed a substantial mean percentage decrease (50.8%) from baseline in the OMT+BEMER group [osteopathic manipulative treatment + PEMF device], compared with a 10.2% decrease in the OMT-only and 9.8% in BEMER-only groups when comparing the difference in VAS ratings from preintervention to postintervention. Participants also reported in quality of life assessed on the Oswestry Low Back Pain Questionnaire/Oswestry Disability Index, with the OMT+BEMER group showing a decrease of 30.3% in score, the most among all groups. The OMT+BEMER group also reported the greatest improvement in score in the physical component of the SF-12, with an increase of 21.8%.
PEMF was found to be superior to sham PEMF in terms of pain, ROM, functionality, and quality of life.
Injury/Wounds
PEMF stimulation is an effective non-invasive method for addressing non-infected tibial union abnormalities.
PEMF has the potential for regulating immune cell signaling mechanisms to promote tissue regeneration.
Arthritis
Effects of pulsed electromagnetic field on knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review
PEMF was significantly more effective at 4 and 8 weeks than the placebo. When the efficacy of PEMF was evaluated for function, a significant improvement was observed 8 weeks after the treatment initiation.
Compared with placebo, there was a beneficial effect of PEMF therapy on pain, stiffness, and physical function in patients with OA…Duration of treatment may not be a critical factor in pain management.
PEMF treatment increased bone and cartilage formation, and decreased bone and cartilage resorption. Pre-emptive and early PEMF treatment had moderate effects on cartilage degradation.
…effective in improving physical function but not pain intensity at treatment completion in adults with knee OA.
A double-blind trial of the clinical effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields in osteoarthritis
Treatment consisted of 18 half-hour periods of exposure over about 1 month…An average improvement of 23-61% occurred in the clinical variables…decreased pain and improved functional performance.
Low frequency pulsed electromagnetic field – A viable alternative therapy for arthritis
As shown by in vivo studies, PEMF therapy has the potential to regenerate the damaged tissue through stimulation of matrix component synthesis and upregulation of osteogenesis apart from alleviating inflammation and pain.
Autoimmune Disease
Statistically significant improvements were observed in maximum and mean pain scores, as well as in the impact of pain on work, personal relationships, and sleep and rest. Not significant differences were found between the treatment and placebo groups.
Neurological Issues
The results of the present study, using an ex vivo human PBMC model, demonstrated that LF-PEMF exposure really modulates the expression of miRNAs that regulate the brain signaling, so confirming the capacity of the electromagnetic field to stimulate both tissue regeneration and brain signaling…the expression of miR-335-5p, which negatively regulates the AMPA receptor, is stimulated by the electromagnetic field.
Cancer
Mechanisms and therapeutic effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in oncology
PEMFs have also an immunomodulatory effect, as supported by in vivo evidence showing an increase in tumor necrosis factor alpha levels that induce an anti‐tumoral response.
Safety
This work shows that the device was safe and provides preliminary evidence of effectiveness in improving function in patients with non-specific LBP.
Mechanisms and therapeutic effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in oncology
Long‐term PEMF treatment in HCC [hepatocellular carcinoma] patients is not toxic, confirming the safety of PEMF therapy that employs 100,000 times lower frequencies if compared with radiofrequency ablation that is also employed for treatment of HCC.
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