Effects of low amplitude pulsed radiofrequency stimulation with different waveform in rats for neuropathic pain.
Lin WT, Chang CH, Cheng CY, Chen MC, Wen YR, Lin CT, Lin CW. · 2013
View Original AbstractRF waveform shape significantly affects nerve responses and pain pathways, showing biological effects depend on signal characteristics beyond just power levels.
Plain English Summary
Researchers tested how different types of pulsed radiofrequency (RF) signals affect pain relief in rats with nerve damage. They found that sinusoidal (smooth wave) RF signals provided better pain relief than square wave signals when applied to nerve clusters at the spine. The study also measured inflammatory markers in spinal tissue to understand how RF treatment reduces pain responses.
Why This Matters
This research offers important insights into how different RF waveforms interact with nervous system tissue, particularly in pain processing pathways. While this was a therapeutic study using intentional RF exposure for medical treatment, it demonstrates that RF signals can have measurable biological effects on nerve function and inflammatory responses at relatively low power levels (2.5-1.25 volts). The finding that waveform characteristics matter for biological outcomes reinforces what we know about EMF bioeffects - it's not just about power levels, but also about signal characteristics like frequency, modulation, and pulse patterns. What this means for you is that the biological impact of RF exposure depends on multiple factors beyond just the strength of the signal, which current safety standards don't adequately account for when they focus primarily on heating effects.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 2 min
Study Details
We compare the effects of different pulse waveforms and PRF parameters (Pulse duration 25 ms, Treatment duration 5 min, low amplitude of 2.5/1.25 V) with a miniature bi-polar electrode on Dorsal root ganglion (DRG)
The pain relief effect due to PRF is evaluated by using Von Frey method for the pain threshold index...
Experimental results of Von Frey Score show that the sinusoidal group has higher responses than the ...
Show BibTeX
@article{wt_2013_effects_of_low_amplitude_2364,
author = {Lin WT and Chang CH and Cheng CY and Chen MC and Wen YR and Lin CT and Lin CW.},
title = {Effects of low amplitude pulsed radiofrequency stimulation with different waveform in rats for neuropathic pain.},
year = {2013},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24110506/},
}