Extremely low frequency magnetic field protects injured spinal cord from the microglia- and iron-induced tissue damage.
Dey S, Bose S, Kumar S, Rathore R, Mathur R, Jain S. · 2017
View Original AbstractLow-frequency magnetic fields at household appliance levels helped rats recover from spinal cord injuries by reducing inflammation and promoting healing.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats with severed spinal cords to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (50 Hz at 17.96 µT) for 2 hours daily over 8 weeks. The magnetic field treatment significantly improved locomotion and reduced inflammation, tissue damage, and iron buildup at the injury site compared to untreated injured rats. This suggests that certain EMF exposures might actually help the nervous system heal from traumatic injuries.
Why This Matters
This study presents a fascinating paradox in EMF research. While much attention focuses on potential harmful effects of electromagnetic fields, here we see evidence that specific ELF magnetic field parameters can actually promote healing in severe spinal cord injuries. The 17.96 µT exposure level used is roughly comparable to what you might experience very close to some household appliances or power lines. What makes this particularly intriguing is the mechanism - the magnetic field appeared to reduce harmful inflammation and iron accumulation while promoting blood vessel growth, all critical factors in spinal cord recovery. This research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that EMF bioeffects aren't simply 'good' or 'bad,' but depend heavily on specific parameters like frequency, intensity, duration, and timing. The science demonstrates that electromagnetic fields can have profound biological effects, and understanding these mechanisms becomes crucial as we navigate our increasingly electromagnetic world.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.01796 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h daily for 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
The present study demonstrates the potential of extremely low frequency magnetic field to attenuate microglia- and iron-induced secondary injury in SCI rats
Complete transection of the spinal cord (T13 level) was performed in male Wistar rats and subsequent...
A significant improvement in locomotion was observed in rats of the SCI + MF group as compared to th...
These novel findings suggest that exposure to ELF-MF reduces lesion volume, inflammation and iron content in addition to facilitation of angiogenesis following SCI.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2017_extremely_low_frequency_magnetic_631,
author = {Dey S and Bose S and Kumar S and Rathore R and Mathur R and Jain S.},
title = {Extremely low frequency magnetic field protects injured spinal cord from the microglia- and iron-induced tissue damage.},
year = {2017},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29140736/},
}