CHANGES IN BLOOD FLOW, OXYGEN UPTAKE AND TISSUE TEMPERATURES PRODUCED BY THERAPEUTIC PHYSICAL AGENTS: II. EFFECT OF SHORT-WAVE DIATHERMY
David I. Abramson, M.D., Yvonne Bell, B.S., Harib Rejal, B.S., Samuel Tuck, Jr., B.S., Carolyn Burnett, B.S., and Clara J. Fleischer, M.D. · 1960
1960 medical research proved radiofrequency fields cause measurable changes in human blood flow, oxygen consumption, and tissue temperature.
Plain English Summary
This 1960 research by Dr. Abramson studied how short-wave diathermy (a radiofrequency medical treatment) affects blood circulation, oxygen consumption, and tissue heating in the human body. The study examined the physiological changes that occur when therapeutic RF energy is applied to human tissue. This early research helped establish how electromagnetic fields interact with biological systems for medical purposes.
Why This Matters
This foundational research from 1960 represents some of the earliest systematic investigation into how radiofrequency electromagnetic fields affect human physiology. What makes this study particularly relevant today is that it documented measurable biological effects from RF exposure in controlled medical settings. The science demonstrates that electromagnetic fields can produce significant changes in blood flow, oxygen uptake, and tissue temperature - fundamental biological processes that affect cellular function.
The reality is that if therapeutic RF devices could produce these documented physiological changes in 1960, we should take seriously the potential for similar biological effects from today's ubiquitous wireless devices. While medical diathermy uses higher power levels than consumer electronics, this research established that RF fields interact with human biology in measurable ways. You don't have to accept industry claims that non-ionizing radiation has no biological effects when decades-old medical research proves otherwise.
Figures from the Original Paper
Diagrams extracted from the original research document.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 30 minutes
Study Details
To determine changes in local circulation, tissue temperature and oxygen uptake during and after application of short-wave diathermy to the forearm
Fourteen experiments were performed on the forearm of 14 normal male subjects. Blood flow, tissue te...
Application of short-wave diathermy produced a definite increase in blood flow, with an average peak...
The use of clinical dosages of short-wave diathermy elicits a definite and prolonged increase in blood flow and tissue temperatures, the greatest thermal effect being noted in the muscle. Such results do not support the contention that shorter electromagnetic waves are relatively more effective for raising the temperature in superficial tissues than in deep tissues. The finding of an associated elevation in oxygen uptake is in accord with the clinical view which considers the presence of an impaired local arterial circulation a contraindication to the use of short-wave diathermy.
Show BibTeX
@article{changes_in_blood_flow_oxygen_uptake_and_tissue_temperatures_produced_by_therapeu_g5863,
author = {David I. Abramson and M.D. and Yvonne Bell and B.S. and Harib Rejal and B.S. and Samuel Tuck and Jr. and B.S. and Carolyn Burnett and B.S. and and Clara J. Fleischer and M.D.},
title = {CHANGES IN BLOOD FLOW, OXYGEN UPTAKE AND TISSUE TEMPERATURES PRODUCED BY THERAPEUTIC PHYSICAL AGENTS: II. EFFECT OF SHORT-WAVE DIATHERMY},
year = {1960},
}