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Other common name(s):
electromagnetism, bioelectricity, magnetic field therapy,
bioelectromagnetics, bioenergy therapy, BioResonance Tumor Therapy,
black boxes, energy medicine, electronic devices, electrical devices,
zapping machine, Rife machine, Cell Comm system
Scientific/medical name(s):
none
DESCRIPTION
Electromagnetic therapy involves the use of energy to
diagnose or treat disease. Electromagnetic energy includes electricity,
microwaves, radio waves, and infrared rays, as well as
electrically-generated magnetic fields. Even though light is also a
type of electromagnetic energy, it is addressed in a separate document
(see Light
Therapy.)
OVERVIEW
There are medically approved uses for some electronic
devices, such as the electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram
(EKG), and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation units (TENS; see
Transcutaneous
Electrical Nerve Stimulation). Such devices are
used to
diagnose nervous system and heart problems and treat pain by
interfering with nerve conduction of pain impulses. However, many of
the alternative electronic devices promoted to cure disease have not
been scientifically proven to be effective.
How is it promoted for use?
Practitioners claim that when electromagnetic frequencies or
energy fields within the body go out of balance, disease and illness
occurs. They claim that these imbalances disrupt the body's chemical
makeup. By applying electromagnetic energy from outside the body,
usually with electronic devices, practitioners claim they can correct
the imbalances in the body.
Practitioners claim that these methods can treat ulcers,
headaches, burns, chronic pain, nerve disorders, spinal cord injuries,
diabetes, gum infections, asthma, bronchitis, arthritis, cerebral
palsy, heart disease, and cancer.
Practitioners of BioResonance Tumor Therapy (a kind of
electromagnetic treatment) use an electronic device they claim results
in the self-destruction of tumor cells by "energizing the p53 gene."
Practitioners say it cures cancer in 80% of cases. However, there is no
description of precisely how this is accomplished.
Another electronic device called the Cell Com system is
promoted as a regulator of the chemical and electrical communication
between cells. Proponents claim it can be used to relieve pain caused
by cancer and for fighting recurrent infections, asthma, bronchitis,
and arthritis. They further claim the device can stop the growth of
cancer cells.
Practitioners claim the Rife machine, another electronic
device, can diagnose and eliminate diseases, including cancer, by
tuning into electrical impulses given off by diseased tissue. The Rife
machine then directs energy of the same frequency back at the diseased
tissue. Promoters claim that the device kills microorganisms that cause
disease.
Another electronic device that has been promoted to cure
cancer is the zapping machine. Based on the claim that cancer is
related to parasites, promoters say it kills the parasites that cause
cancer.
What does it involve?
Electromagnetic therapy, which includes several different
approaches, is claimed to use electromagnetic, microwave, or infrared
energy to diagnose or treat an illness by detecting imbalances in the
body's energy fields and then correcting them. Electronic devices,
which emit some form of low-voltage electrical current or radio
frequency, are often involved. Magnets and other unconventional
treatments may also be a part of electromagnetic and energy field
therapy (see Crystals,
Magnetic
Therapy, Polarity
Therapy, Reiki,
and Therapeutic
Touch). The most commonly used electronic devices are listed
below.
BioResonance Tumor Therapy
This method uses a small electronic device to create
oscillations (vibrations) that are supposed to "re-enliven" the p53
gene in order to cure cancer. While the p53 gene is often defective in
cancer tissues (see the American Cancer Society document Oncogenes
and Tumor Suppressor Genes), available evidence
does not support claims that it can
be electrically repaired. Some reports estimate that the program can
last up to six weeks.
Cell Com System
This device reportedly transmits low voltage electricity
through electrodes that are placed on the hands and feet in order to
regulate communication between cells in the body.
Rife Machine
Also called frequency therapy, frequency generator, and Rife
frequency generator, this device is used to direct electrical impulses
at the feet to break up the supposed accumulated deposits of toxins at
nerve endings. During treatment, the patient places his or her feet in
a plastic box attached to the Rife unit.
Zapping Machine
A zapping machine is a small, battery-powered device that
produces a low-frequency electrical current. Wires connected to copper
tubes transmit the electricity to patients.
What is the history behind it?
The effects of magnetism and energy forces have been studied
since the time of the Greek and Roman empires. Chinese medicine uses
one of the oldest energy-based systems of healing. Traditional Chinese
medicine is based on the concept of qi (or chi) which is thought to be
the vital energy or life force that flows throughout the body. The
concept of life force energy is also a central aspect of Indian medical
beliefs.
In modern times, the discovery of electricity brought about
the promotion of electromagnetic treatments. The use of different forms
of electrical devices and frequency generators in medicine has
intrigued practitioners and patients for generations. Since the mid
1800s, countless electronic machines have been applied to a long list
of ailments. Most of these devices have never been proven effective. In
some cases their use has resulted in serious injury or even death.
However, some electromagnetic and electrical technologies have become
mainstays of modern medical practice, such as diagnostic x-rays,
radiation therapy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and cardiac
pacemakers.
The first known use of frequency therapy came in the late
1800s when Albert Abrams, MD, developed a number of devices he claimed
could detect the frequencies of diseased tissue and heal the underlying
imbalances. The idea that disease can be diagnosed and treated by
tuning in to radio-like frequencies has also been called radionics. Dr.
Abrams was never able to prove his devices were effective. Later
proponents have been likewise unsuccessful.
Dozens of similar unconventional and unproven electronic
devices have been made and marketed over the years. BioResonance Tumor
Therapy, the Cell Com system, the Rife machine, and the zapping machine
are four popular systems on the market today.
BioResonance Tumor Therapy was developed by Martin Keymer, a
German biophysicist, who claims the therapy is rooted in the age-old
idea that it is possible to tap into the vital energy that flows
throughout the body. A clinic offering the therapy, which opened in
Tijuana, Mexico in 1998, has been the subject of great deal of
controversy. The Cell Com system which is said to increase
communication between cells was invented by a Danish acupuncturist
named Hugo Nielsen.
The Rife machine (or Rife frequency generator) was created by
Royal Raymond Rife, an American who asserted that cancer was caused by
bacteria. The machine supposedly emitted radio waves at the same
frequency as those discharged by offending bacteria. According to Rife,
the radio waves created vibrations that "shattered" the bacteria.
The most widely marketed zapping machine today is the Zapper
designed by Hulda Clark, PhD, a physiologist with no formal clinical
medical training. She currently uses her device to treat patients with
cancer, AIDS, and other diseases in a Tijuana, Mexico medical clinic.
Electronic devices and other frequency generators are
available through a number of companies. Treatment programs that
incorporate the devices are offered in Mexican and Canadian clinics.
Practitioners do not need a license to conduct frequency therapy in the
United States.
The FDA has not approved any of the alternative machines or
products connected to electrical sources (electronic devices) used to
cure illness and does not recognize any frequency generator as a
legitimate medical device. They have, however, launched an
investigation into the industry.
What is the evidence?
Science has established the fact that electrical and magnetic
energy exist in the human body. Electrical energy is used by physicians
to re-start the heart after heart attacks and is even applied to
promote bone growth. Some accepted electrical devices commonly used in
hospitals include EEGs to measure electrical activity in the brain and
EKGs to measure electrical patterns of heartbeats.
Low level radio waves or tiny electrical impulses are not
strong enough to produce a significant effect on the body. There is no
evidence that the radio waves produced by these devices can destroy
bacteria or any living cells.
Microwaves, another form of electromagnetic therapy, are used
in some cancer treatment centers to heat and destroy tumor cells.
High-energy radio waves can also be used to "cook" cancer cells, a
process called radiofrequency ablation (see Hyperthermia.)
In addition, powerful electromagnetic fields (stronger and of
a different type than those produced by radionic devices) may be able
to change the responses of certain cells in the body. Early evidence
suggests that these electromagnetic fields may help broken bones that
are not healing well. Some researchers have reported that pulsed
electromagnetic stimulation may reduce frequency of migraine headaches,
although larger studies are needed to prove any benefit. Some early
studies found that electromagnetic energy may reduce some kinds of
pain, although the methods and results still need to be checked by
others to learn if they hold true. One review analyzed 2 studies and
found that electromagnetic treatment did not seem to help heal pressure
sores (bedsores). Scientific studies are looking at whether these
powerful electromagnetic fields may help with other problems. These
studies are only done in carefully controlled research settings. If
they show benefit, it is possible that electromagnets may be used in
conventional medicine in the future.
There is no relationship between the conventional medical
uses of electromagnetic energy and the alternative devices or methods
that use externally applied electrical forces. Available scientific
evidence does not support claims that these alternative electrical devices are effective in diagnosing or
treating cancer or any other disease.
Are there any possible problems
or complications?
Untested, unproven electrical devices may pose some risk.
There have been reports of injuries due to faulty electrical wiring,
power surges during lightening storms, and misuse of equipment. People
with pacemakers, defibrillators, or insulin pumps should avoid exposure
to electric current and magnetic fields, including electromagnets.
Relying on this type of treatment alone, and avoiding or delaying conventional
medical care, may have serious health consequences.
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Additional Resources
More Information From Your
American Cancer Society
The following information on complementary and alternative
therapies may also be helpful to you. These materials may be ordered
from our toll-free number (1-800-ACS-2345).
References
American Cancer Society. Questionable methods of cancer
management: electronic devices. CA Cancer J Clin. 1994;44:115-127.
Alternative Medicine: Expanding Medical Horizons. A Report to
the National Institutes of Health on Alternative Medical Systems and
Practices in the United States. Washington, DC: US Government Printing
Office; 1994. NIH publication 94-066.
Barrett S. James Gary Davidson and the Monterrey Wellness
Center. Available at: www.quackwatch.org. Accessed 03/29/07.
Cassileth B. The Alternative Medicine Handbook. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton & Co; 1998.
Flemming K, Cullum N. Electromagnetic therapy for treating
pressure sores (Cochrane Review). The Cochrane Library, Issue 2, 2005.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Research Report. Questions and Answers about Using Magnets to Treat
Pain. Available at http://nccam.nci.nih.gov. Accessed 03/2/9/07.
Rubik B. Energy medicine and the unifying concept of
information. Altern Ther Health Med. 1995;1:34-39.
Sherman RA, Acosta NM, Robson L. Treatment of migraine with
pulsing electromagnetic fields: a double-blind, placebo-controlled
study. Headache. 1999 Sep;39(8):567-75.
Note: This information may not
cover all possible claims, uses, actions, precautions, side effects or
interactions. It is not intended as medical advice, and should not be
relied upon as a substitute for consultation with your doctor, who is
familiar with your medical situation.
Revised: 05/23/2007
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