PEMF Therapy for Painful Osteoarthritis At the Orthopaedic Research Societys annual meeting in New Orleans, March 2010, researchers described a study demonstrating the benefits of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) for relieving arthritis pain. Investigators from the Osteoarthritis Center at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, presented a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in which 34 patients used a portable battery-operated device emitting a low-intensity PEMF frequency [Nelson et al. 2010]. They reported that subjects receiving active PEMF therapy experienced more than 40% pain relief on their first day of treatment and this continued during the study (further data were unavailable at the time of this writing). PEMF DeviceAll patients attached a small, lightweight, ring-shaped plastic device around their knees (directly over clothing, if preferred) for 15 minutes, twice daily for 6 weeks. The electromagnetic field depth extended across the knee and 5” on either side [see illustration]. All participants were given a device that appeared to work but some were randomly assigned active coils and others were given non-active coils (placebo group). The PEMF device was developed by Ivivi Health Sciences, which also funded the study. Some research has demonstrated that targeted PEMF signals accelerate anti-inflammatory processes, and significant improvements in pain, edema, angiogenesis (blood vessel development), and tissue repair have been demonstrated in animal models. Human research has found significant reductions in pain, decreased use of pain medication, and the reduction of IL-1-beta (an objective marker of inflammation). Lead investigator Fred Nelson, MD, commented, The exciting thing about this new approach is that it has been found to have no side effects, it is relatively low-cost in the long-run, and the onset of pain relief is immediate. His team plans to continue examining the consistency of the pain relief, how long it lasts, and if PEMF might benefit other painful joints.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 19:58:06 +0000