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  #1  
Old 12-27-2008, 12:59 AM
annapurna annapurna is offline
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Default Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy - looking for help

Has anyone heard of or tried pulsed electromagnetic field therapy to reverse osteoporosis or osteopenia? Before everyone gets in a uproar, I'm not asking about static magnetic fields or magnets you can wear or put in your shoes that have been claimed to do everything. This is a pulsed field of around 1 Gauss or roughly the same strength as the magnetic field of the Earth pulsed at low frequencies. The original claim and the supporters on the internet claim that it has been used sucessfully to reverse osteopenia. A quick dive into the net looking for opposing opinions only dug out opposing opinions for magnets and static fields or lawsuits against claims that PEMF can reverse cancer. Anyone have more information or experience?
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  #2  
Old 12-27-2008, 11:11 AM
berry berry is offline
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Hi there,

I've no experience but have read a little about this. (I can't have any electrotherapy though as I've had a brain tumour). This abstract is old but is still interesting:

Title:
Optimization of electric field parameters for the control of bone remodeling: exploitation of an indigenous mechanism for the prevention of osteopenia.

Citation:
Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, December 1993(S573-81), 0884-0431

Author(s):
Rubin CT,Donahue HJ,Rubin JE,McLeod KJ

Abstract:
The discovery of piezoelectric potentials in loaded bone was instrumental in developing a plausible mechanism by which functional activity could intrinsically influence the tissue's cellular environment and thus affect skeletal mass and morphology. Using an in vivo model of osteopenia, we have demonstrated that the bone resorption that normally parallels disuse can be prevented or even reversed by the exogenous induction of electric fields. Importantly, the manner of the response (i.e., formation, turnover, resorption) is exceedingly sensitive to subtle changes in electric field parameters. Fields below 10 microV/cm, when induced at frequencies between 50 and 150 Hz for 1 h/day, were sufficient to maintain bone mass even in the absence of function. Reducing the frequency to 15 Hz made the field extremely osteogenic. Indeed, this frequency-specific sinusoidal field initiated more new bone formation than a more complex pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF), though inducing only 0.1% of the electrical energy of the PEMF. The frequencies and field intensities most effective in the exogenous stimulation of bone formation are similar to those produced by normal functional activity. This lends strong support to the hypothesis that endogenous electric fields serve as a critical regulatory factor in both bone modeling and remodeling processes. Delineation of the field parameters most effective in retaining or promoting bone mass will accelerate the development of electricity as a unique and site-specific prophylaxis for osteopenia. Because fields of these frequencies and intensities are indigenous to bone tissue, it further suggests that such exogenous treatment can promote bone quantity and quality with minimal risk or consequence.



If I come across anything more up-to-date I'll post it.

Regards

Lynda
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Craniotomy and excision frontal lobe brain tumour, May 2006
Lumbar ProDiscs, L4/5 & L5/S1, Feb 2004

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  #3  
Old 12-27-2008, 04:46 PM
Slackwater Slackwater is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by annapurna View Post
Has anyone heard of or tried pulsed electromagnetic field therapy to reverse osteoporosis or osteopenia?
You wrote "electromagnetic". This may or may not be what you are referring to above.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PMID: 19080282
Chin Med J (Engl). 2008 Oct 20;121(20):2095-9
Clinical update of pulsed electromagnetic fields on osteoporosis.
Huang LQ, He HC, He CQ, Chen J, Yang L.
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital Affiliated to Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the effects of low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on chronic bony pain, bone mineral density (BMD), bone strength and biochemical markers of bone metabolism in the patients of osteoporosis.

DATA SOURCES: Using the key words "pulsed electromagnetic fields" and "osteoporosis", we searched the PubMed for related studies published in English from January 1996 to December 2007. We also searched the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for studies published in Chinese from January 1996 to December 2007.

STUDY SELECTION:
Inclusion criteria: (1) all articles which referred to the effects of low-frequency pulsed magnetic fields on osteoporosis either in primary osteoporosis or secondary osteoporosis; (2) either observational studies or randomized controlled studies. Exclusion criteria: (1) articles on experimental studies about osteoporosis; (2) repetitive studies; (3) case reports; (4) meta analysis.

RESULTS:
Totally 111 related articles were collected, 101 of them were published in Chinese,
10 were in English. Thirty-four were included and the remaining 84 were excluded.

CONCLUSIONS:
Low-frequency PEMFs relieves the pain of primary osteoporosis quickly and efficiently, enhances bone formation and increases BMD of secondary osteoporosis. But the effects of PEMFs on bone mineral density of primary osteoporosis and bone resorption were controversial.


PMID: 16987754
Connect Tissue Res. 2006;47(4):222-8.
Pulsed electromagnetic fields accelerate apoptotic rate in osteoclasts.
Chang K, Chang WH, Tsai MT, Shih C.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chung-Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

Selective control of cell function by applying specifically configured, low-energy, time-varying electromagnetic fields (EMF) has added a new, exciting dimension to biology and medicine. However, the mechanism involved is less clear.

In our study, we investigated the effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) on induction of osteoclasts apoptosis. A statistically significant increase of apoptotic rate in osteoclasts (48 hr after isolation) was found when exposed to 7.5 Hz PEMF with induced electric fields intensity of 3.0 muv/cm for 8 (105%, p < 0.001) and 16 hr (30%, p < 0.05). However, exposure of osteoclasts to PEMF for only 1 hr showed no statistically significant differences. These findings suggest that PEMF have the ability to speed up apoptosis of osteoclasts derived from primary osteoblasts and bone marrow cells cocultures. This in vitro study, therefore, could be considered as groundwork for in vivo PEMF applications on some osteoclasts-associated bone diseases such as osteoporosis.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A PEMF search in the Journal ORS may be worthwhile.
LIPUS is one of my search terms, Low Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound.
I read about it several places in regards to ...
I defer to the PhD's in the below literature review.

The Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) has several articles on LIPUS and its effects.
The Journal of Orthopaedic Research website is offline for maintenance at this moment.
The www.pubmed.gov result, a literature review, is shown below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PMID: 19011263
Br Med Bull. 2008 Nov 16. [Epub ahead of print]
The effects of LIPUS on soft-tissue healing: a review of literature.
Khanna A, Nelmes RT, Gougoulias N, Maffulli N, Gray J.
Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Keele University School of Medicine, Thornburrow Drive, Hartshill Stoke on Trent ST4 7QB Staffs, UK and Health Protection Agency, Virus Reference Department, London.

Introduction
Ultrasound is widely used for imaging purposes and as an adjunct to physiotherapy.
Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), having removed the thermal component
found at higher intensities, is used to improve bone healing. However, its potential
role in soft-tissue healing is still under investigation.

Material and methods
We searched on Medline using the keywords: low-intensity pulsed ultrasound,
LIPUS and LIPUS and soft-tissue healing. Thirty-two suitable articles were identified.

Results
Research, mainly pre-clinical, so far has shown encouraging result, with LIPUS
able to promote healing in various soft tissues such as cartilage, inter-vertebral disc,
etc. The effect on the bone-tendon junction, however, is primarily on bone. The role
of LIPUS in treating tendinopathies is questionable.

Adequately powered human studies with standardisation of intensities and dosages
of LIPUS for each target tissue are needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


slackwater_sf
mva, 2-level lumbar surgical candidate, ADR TDR TDA
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  #4  
Old 12-28-2008, 12:30 AM
annapurna annapurna is offline
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Thanks, Slackwater, this is what I wanted to know more about. I wanted to see what the community thought of it. It might be paranoia, but it's beginning to make me wonder that no one has posted problems with the therapy. Heck, even ADR got panned in Quackwatch at one time (don't know what their opinion is today). I'm hoping that the lack of discussion is the effect of it being new and seldom used.
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Laura - L5S1 Charitee
C5/6 and 6/7 Prodisc C
Facet problems L4-S1
General joint hypermobility

Jim - C4/5, C5/6, L4/5 disk bulges and facet damage, L4/5 disk tears, currently using regenerative medicine to address

"There are many Annapurnas in the lives of men" Maurice Herzog
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