Benign Effect of Extremely Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Field on Brain Plasticity Assessed by Nitric Oxide Metabolism during Poststroke Rehabilitation.
Cichoń N, Czarny P, Bijak M, Miller E, Śliwiński T, Szemraj J, Saluk-Bijak J. · 2017
View Original AbstractControlled EMF therapy at 7 milliTesla enhanced stroke recovery, suggesting specific frequencies may benefit brain healing under medical supervision.
Plain English Summary
Researchers studied 48 stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation, with half receiving additional exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (40 Hz) for 15 minutes daily. The EMF-exposed group showed increased levels of nitric oxide compounds in their blood and demonstrated better functional and mental recovery compared to the control group. This suggests that specific EMF frequencies might help enhance brain healing after stroke.
Why This Matters
This study presents an intriguing finding that challenges the typical narrative around EMF health effects. While most EMF research focuses on potential harm, this controlled clinical trial suggests that specific extremely low-frequency exposures might actually support brain recovery. The 7 milliTesla magnetic field used here is significantly stronger than typical environmental exposures (which are usually measured in microTesla), indicating this was a deliberate therapeutic application rather than incidental exposure. What makes this research particularly noteworthy is its clinical design with actual stroke patients and measurable functional outcomes. The observed changes in nitric oxide metabolism suggest a biological mechanism for the reported improvements. However, readers should understand this represents therapeutic EMF application under medical supervision, not everyday environmental exposure scenarios.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 7 mG
- Source/Device
- 40 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 15 min/day
Exposure Context
This study used 7 mG for magnetic fields:
- 350Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 70Kx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 1 mG
Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of the extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) on generation and metabolism of NO, as a neurotransmitter, in the rehabilitation of poststroke patients
Forty-eight patients were divided into two groups: ELF-EMF and non-ELF-EMF. Both groups underwent th...
We observed that application of ELF-EMF significantly increased 3-nitrotyrosine and nitrate/nitrite ...
The results also show that ELF-EMF treatments improved functional and mental status. We conclude that ELF-EMF therapy is capable of promoting recovery in poststroke patients.
Show BibTeX
@article{n_2017_benign_effect_of_extremely_618,
author = {Cichoń N and Czarny P and Bijak M and Miller E and Śliwiński T and Szemraj J and Saluk-Bijak J.},
title = {Benign Effect of Extremely Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Field on Brain Plasticity Assessed by Nitric Oxide Metabolism during Poststroke Rehabilitation.},
year = {2017},
url = {https://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2017/2181942/},
}