My earlier blog was about the phases of healing… now let’s move on to the interesting mechanism of how the electromagnetic devices facilitate this process to restore early function.

Common symptoms after injury:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Redness
• Damage to the skin, blood vessels and surrounding tissue.

Now you all must be thinking that what is the role of a physiotherapist in wound healing?

Allow me to explain.

The most common wounds which are treated by a physical therapist are –

• Necrotic wounds
• Pressure Ulcers
• Diabetic wounds
• Chronic wounds
• Venous and/or arterial wounds.
• Extremity wounds with edema
• Surgical non-healing wounds.

Wound care begins after evaluation and development of a care plan.

Various treatment options are available in physiotherapy for wound care.

In this blog I am going to give you all a valuable insight on how pulsed electromagnetic therapy is an effective adjuvant wound healing therapy.

The known biological effects on healing and cellular wellness are:

• PEMF therapy decreases inflammation

Several factors influence tissue inflammation and the processes by which PEMF therapy operates to reduce inflammation include complex mechanical, electrical, chemical, and magnetic processes that take place as PEMF therapy increases circulation and cellular activity.

• PEMF therapy increases blood circulation

• PEMF therapy increases cell membrane permeability and cellular metabolism

• In a damaged cell, the potential is raised and an increased sodium inflow occurs. As a result, interstitial fluid is attracted to the inner cellular space, resulting in swelling
• Magnetic fields influence membrane permeability, changing the membrane potential and thus, resulting in the flow of ions in and out of the cells.
• The application of PEMF to damaged cells accelerates the re-establishment of normal potentials increasing the rate of healing and reducing swelling.
• The changes with the membrane potential cause the ion channels to open and close, allowing more ion exchange, thus increasing cellular oxygenation and nutrition.
• It has also been established that the magnetic field influences the ATP production. Increase the supply of oxygen and nutrients via the vascular and lymphatic systems, improve the removal of waste via the lymphatic system; and help to re-balance the distribution of ions across the cell membrane.

• PEMF therapy increases cellular activity and energy storage

The average magnetic amplitudes generated by PEMF therapy is low, the total energy transmitted to the tissues is not powerful enough to create heat within the tissues or to vibrate the cells. There is only sufficient average energy for the electron-spin to be increased, thus, energy gets stored in the mitochondria of the cells by converting ADP to ATP molecules more rapidly.

• PEMF therapy increases cellular membrane permeability and elasticity

PEMF therapy successfully increases membrane flexibility by increasing the synthesis of collagen, a crucial protein that supports membrane elasticity, within the fibroblasts. In doing so, PEMF therapy increases tissue and muscle flexibility and, therefore, increases range of motion, usually within minutes.

In a nutshell, PEMF therapy increases cellular genesis (cellular growth and repair). It is an excellent means for improving healing, preventing stress, assisting regeneration and recovery after exertion.

Thus, functions that were lost begin to recover ! 

Read More:

A Story of Bio-electromagnetic Healing!