Exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic field restores spinal cord injury-induced tonic pain and its related neurotransmitter concentration in the brain
Kumar S, Jain S, Velpandian T, Petrovich Gerasimenko Y, D Avelev V, Behari J, Behari M, Mathur R. · 2013
View Original AbstractControlled magnetic field exposure restored normal pain responses and brain chemistry in spinal-injured rats, showing EMF effects depend entirely on dose and context.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats with spinal cord injuries to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (50 Hz, similar to power line frequencies) for 2 hours daily over 8 weeks. The magnetic field exposure restored normal pain responses and corrected abnormal brain chemical levels that had developed after the spinal injury. This suggests that specific EMF exposures might have therapeutic potential for certain neurological conditions.
Why This Matters
This study reveals something remarkable about EMF exposure that challenges the typical narrative of harm. The researchers found that chronic exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields at 17.96 microTesla actually restored normal brain function in rats with spinal cord injuries. What makes this particularly interesting is the exposure level - roughly equivalent to what you might experience standing very close to high-voltage power lines, but delivered in controlled therapeutic doses. The science demonstrates that EMF effects aren't simply 'good' or 'bad' - they're highly dependent on frequency, intensity, duration, and biological context. This research adds to a growing body of evidence showing that certain EMF parameters can have beneficial biological effects, particularly in neurological conditions. While this doesn't mean you should seek out EMF exposure for health benefits, it does underscore why the EMF health debate requires nuanced understanding rather than blanket statements about safety or danger.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.01796 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h/day × 8 weeks)
Exposure Context
This study used 0.01796 mG for magnetic fields:
- 898x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 179.6x 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
We report the effect of magnetic field (MF; 17.96 μT, 50 Hz) on tonic pain behavior and related neurotransmitters in the brain of complete thoracic (T13) SCI rats at week 8.
Adult male Wistar rats were divided into Sham, SCI and SCI+MF groups. Formalin-pain behavior was com...
Session-PR, block-PR and number of flinches were significantly lower, while time spent in categories...
We suggest beneficial effect of chronic (2 h/day × 8 weeks) exposure to MF (50 Hz, 17.96 μT) on tonic pain that is mediated by 5-HT, GABA and NE in complete SCI rats.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2013_exposure_to_extremely_lowfrequency_270,
author = {Kumar S and Jain S and Velpandian T and Petrovich Gerasimenko Y and D Avelev V and Behari J and Behari M and Mathur R. },
title = {Exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic field restores spinal cord injury-induced tonic pain and its related neurotransmitter concentration in the brain},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.3109/15368378.2012.743907},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15368378.2012.743907},
}