Which clinical studies support the use of PEMF?
Several clinical studies support the use of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) in various therapeutic applications. Here are some important studies and their results:
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Osteoarthritis:
- A study by Wuschech et al (2015) showed that PEMF led to a significant reduction in stiffness and disability in everyday life in patients with osteoarthritis. The study was randomised, placebo-controlled and double-blind.
- Two meta-analyses by Negm et al. (2013) and Ryang We et al. (2013) analysed several studies and found very positive effects of PEMF in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, including less pain, less stiffness and improved physical function.
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Diabetic neuropathy:
- Weintraub et al (2009) conducted a randomised controlled trial which showed that PEMF reduced neuropathic pain in diabetic patients and stimulated neuronal repair.
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Bone healing and regeneration:
- In a rat model of rotator cuff repair, PEMF therapy improved tendon-to-bone healing and bone quality (Tucker et al., 2016).
- Ferroni et al (2016) showed that PEMF promotes osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) when these are already predetermined.
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Nerve damage and regeneration:
- In experiments with rats, peripheral nerve regeneration was improved by PEMF and by the addition of Schwann-like cells from human dental pulp stem cells (Hei et al., 2016).
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Cartilage and joint health:
- Veronesi et al (2014) showed that PEMF (75 Hz) improved all symptoms of knee osteoarthritis in guinea pigs.
- Further studies reported positive effects of PEMF on the anabolic activity of chondrocytes, cartilage protection and healing of bone fractures (Benazzo et al., 2008; Ciombor et al., 2003).
These studies demonstrate the efficacy of PEMF in various clinical applications and support its use as a mono- or add-on therapy in medical practice.