Background
It is known that electromagnetic fields of certain frequency ranges and intensities are indigenous to living tissues and it has been found that inciting the inherent resonance by exogenous treatment using electromagnetic fields [EMF], electric fields, and magnetic fields can induce cellular regeneration and degeneration processes. EMF in a range from 0.1-150Hz has been reported to stimulate bone cells. It has also been reported that bone resorption that normally parallels disuse can be prevented or even reversed by the exogenous induction of electric fields. Electromagnetic fields, below 10 micro V/cm, when induced at frequencies between 50 and 150 Hz for 1 h/day, are sufficient to maintain bone mass even in the absence of function. Reducing the frequency to 15 Hz makes the field extremely osteogenic. 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.
In Yuri Gagarin’s historic flight to space, he returned in near critical condition after only one hour and forty eight minutes in space. Clearly there was some vital element missing in space that we receive on earth. Yuri had plenty of food, water and oxygen and since the flight was less than 2 hours he really only needed oxygen. The critical missing element appears to be PEMF- Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields. Since that first flight, pulsed magnetic devices have been used in every space suit and space station. Further studies have been done on earth (zero field studies) with both laboratory animals and human subjects. In a matter of hours without exposure to healthy PEMF’s, cell metabolism begins to break down causing bone loss, muscle weakness, depressed metabolism, disorientation and depression.
A range of PEMF machines have been introduced in the market. PEMF therapy has been reported to decrease pain, improve sleep, enhance circulation, regenerate nerves, help in healing of wounds, enhance immunity and improve bone density.
An area of immense interest has been the use of magnetic stimulation in rehabilitating injured or paralyzed muscle groups. Magnetic stimulation of the heart has been considered to be superior to CPR or electrical stimulation, because both of those methods apply gross stimulation to the entire heart all at once. A magnetic stimulator can be used as an external pacer to stimulate each chamber of the heart separately in the proper sequence. Another area in which magnetic stimulation is proving effective is treatment of the spine. The spinal cord is difficult to access directly because vertebrae surround it. Magnetic stimulation may be used to block the transmission of pain via nerves in the back, e.g., those responsible for lower back pain. Magnetic stimulation also has proven effective in stimulating regions of the brain thereby providing a number of treatment options including several classes of antidepressant medications (Sari’s, MAI’s and tricyclics), lithium, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Recently, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has also been shown to have significant anti-depressant effects for patients that do not respond to the traditional methods. The membrane are depolarized by the induction of small electric fields in excess of 1 V/cm that are the result of a rapidly changing magnetic field applied non-invasively.
The use of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) for healing has been known from time immemorial. Even many centuries ago, simple magnets were used for regenerative purposes. It is only in the last 50 years that specific use of electromagnetic fields has been clearly defined to aid in or facilitate biological tissue regeneration or degeneration. Much research has gone into this use of electromagnetic fields. In the last 50 years research has established a scientific basis for use of electromagnetic devices in the treatment of illness, although many applications have yet to be specific enough to achieve the desired changes.
Each tissue in the body is made of cells and a cell is the smallest distinct entity of that particular type of tissue. The cell has a specific cell membrane and the cell membrane is a dividing structure that maintains biochemically distinct compartments between the inside and outside of the cell. The inside is the intracellular compartment and the outside is the extracellular space, as described by Marieb in 1998. In order to maintain a balance there is a free exchange of electrolytes, water, sodium and potassium constantly through the intracellular and extracellular compartments. The passage of these electrically charged ions will create flow of electrical currents through the membrane. These ions in turn affect the metabolism of the cell and potential of the cell membrane. The normal cell membrane potential is about -70 to -90 mV. A lot of research has been done on how cell membrane potential is the key to maintain cell activity and the behavior of the cell itself. Clarence Cone et. al. from 1970 was responsible for publication of majority of scientific papers on this entity. The lipid structure of the cell membrane makes it relatively impermeable to the transfer of the ions and therefore, these ions pass through ion channels. The ion channels contain aqueous pores that connect the inside of the cell to the extracellular space. These are open and shut based on a variety of signals. Dr. Steve Haltiwanger has described in his thesis on the use of electrotherapy for diseases on how to build up of different concentration of mineral ions and endow cell membrane with electrical property of capacitance. Capacitors are well known electrical components that are composed of two conducting sheets of metal plates separated by this layer of insulating material. The membrane of the cell organelle that have mitochondria in animals and the chloroplast in plants act as biological capacitors and they have the capacity to accumulate and store charge and hence energy can be given up when needed. A cell or a human body is coupled to its electric field in proportion to its capacitance such that the greater the frequency of the electric field, the greater the current flow of the cell for the body. For soft tissue low frequency natural or applied electric field will create current that is conducted primarily along the surface of the cell. This has been described by Adey et. al. in 1993. When high frequency fields are applied with external signal generators such as micro current devices, magnetic pulses or the plasma tubes or Rife devices, electrical charging of the cell membrane occurs causing an increase in cell membrane capacitance and increased conduction of current through the cell membrane. This has been distinctly described by Haltiwanger also in 2003. This means that the devices that generate low frequency current will have different biological effects and the device that generates high frequency can have different biological effect. In summary, increase in cell membrane capacitances would change cell membrane permeability and could cause significant changes in cell behavior.
Scientific research has proven that cells are electromagnetic in nature and they generate their own electromagnetic fields and are also capable of harnessing external electromagnetic energy in the right wavelength and strength to communicate control and drive metabolic functions as described by Adey in 1988 and 1993 as also by Becker in 1990. The application of a varying magnetic flux to the area of the body will induce an electric field along the perimeters of the area. This is according to the basic laws of electromagnetism. When varying magnetic fields are applied to human tissues that contain free or charged carriers, these charge carriers are accelerated by the electric field thereby generating eddy currents. The induced electric field or the generated current depends on the rate of change of the magnetic field. Time varying magnetic fields that induce cell growth acceleration, enzyme activation and changes in membrane metabolism have been described earlier by Enforte in 1990. It is well recognized that electrical currents and magnetic fields are continuously produced in the body at all times. For example in the ECG, the cardiologist measures the electrical currents of the beating heart or in the EEG, the neurologist measures the electrical activity of the brain, or in the EMG, the neurologist measures the activity of the muscle and the nerve. Likewise, a whole lot of other parameters that are related to this can be measured. Electricity in the body comes from the food that we eat and the air that we breathe. Lester Brown in 1999 described energy from enzyme catalyzed chemical reaction which involves oxidation of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Cells can produce energy by oxidation, dependent aerobic enzyme particles and by less efficient fermentation process. |
