Headache Treatment with Pulsing Electromagnetic Fields: A Literature Review

Abstract

Pulsing electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy may be a viable form of complementary and alternative medicine. Clinical applications include the treatment of fractures, wounds, and heart disease. More recent applications involve treatment of recurrent headache disorders. This paper reviews available studies investigating PEMF for headache management. Possible mechanisms for effects (neurochemical, electrophysical, and cardiovascular) are discussed. The available data suggest that PEMF treatment for headache merits further study. Suggestions for future research are provided.

The efficiency of pulsed electromagnetic field in refractory migraine headaches: a randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel group

“…The current study has several strengths in comparison with the previous studies that were collected by Vincent et al in. 17 For example, the existence of the parallel placebo group in a randomized clinical trial, assessment of PEMF in RM patients for whom the routine treatment did not work, and consideration of menstrual relation to migraine as factors in a mixed model analysis have not been previously included in published work.…”

“…25,33,34 Many of the studies from 1985 to 2005, gathered in a review article, illustrated the effect of the use of large spread spectrum of PEMF doses on decreasing headache activity. 17 Although most of these research studies had no control or comparison group, or had very brief follow-up periods and uncompleted reports of dosimeter. Sherman et al in 1998 revealed a therapeutic effect of PEMF at 27.12 MHz in their pilot study of six migraine patients exposed to a PEMF machine, showing a change in headache activity from 3.32 to 0.58 per week compared to the controls.…”

“…These rationales include electrophysiological, neurochemical, and vascular phenomena. 17 Some animal and human studies support neurochemical effects of weak electromagnetic fields that may act on neurotransmitters such as melatonin, cortisol, serotonergic and dopaminergic systems implicated in the pathophysiology of migraine. 3,23,36 Many electrophysiological studies in migraines often showed high power and asymmetry in the low EEG frequency band due to the reduction of the cholinergic activity of the brainstem that induces dysrhythmia in the thalamocortical pathway.…”

“…Patients achieved over 70 percent improvement in their activity after using PEME. [15][16][17] Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields may have a beneficial effect in controlling migraines through several mechanisms. The exposure of neural and vascular cells to electromagnetic fields that resonate at 10 Hz can induce intracellular calcium oscillations and change the signaling cascades such as calcium-calmodulin-NO.…”

“…9 Nevertheless, there is no strong evidence to support efficiency of this treatment in migraine sufferers. 17 Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of applying the PEMF to patients experiencing RM headache.…”