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Design|Electrical|plates|Power|Testing
design|electrical|plates|power|testing

Electric healing

2nd November 2018

By: Terry Mackenzie-hoy

     

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Many years ago, I had a conversation with a very nice physiotherapist. The subject got onto electrotherapy, the curing of muscular aliments by the application of electricity.

She explained to me that there were two types of current: galvanic and faradic. She explained that these had different applications. I tried to find out more about these currents but I could not follow her explanation. I realised that, really, all I should do is accept that she had a machine which applied voltage to parts of the body and, in due time, the affliction was cured.

I know that, in history, people have tried using electricity to cure wounds and bone fractures. When I was 35, I had some severe fractures in my legs and it was thought that they could apply some electricity to the fractures to help the bones heal. The plan was to apply a direct current source to pass current through my bones. However, I had some metal plates holding the bones together. I was less than keen on this treatment, having visions of the plates cooking up the tissue inside my leg.

So, I said, no thanks. A fairly bright technician redesigned the bone healing machine so that it applied alternating current, and not direct current. Again, I was asked if I would submit to testing this device and I declined, since I could not see what difference the alternating current made.

I am not sure what progress has been made in this field, but there is definite progress in wound healing using high-frequency electrical signals, as reported in Science Daily in 2014. The University of Cincinnati report is as follows: “The team discovered that high-frequency electrical stimulus, similar to that generated by cellphones and WiFi networks, increased the growth of blood vessel networks by as much as 50%, while low-frequency electrical stimulus did not produce such an effect. As part of their work, the University of Cincinnati team has developed a specialised antenna to apply the electrical signals to a localised wound, and that design is now the subject of a provisional patent.”

This is apparently of great importance for the healing of hard-to-heal wounds, such as those suffered by diabetics. The report continues: “The potential for electrical-based treatment of wounds is far reaching. Given the targeted, localised nature of such wound treatment, the application of electrical stimulus could replace or reduce the need for drug-based treatments, which affect the entire body and may carry side effects . . . the stimulus frequency used by the team was as high as 7.5-billion cycles per second (gigahertz, or GHz), and as low as 60 cycles per second (Hertz, or Hz), which is the same frequency used in 120 V power outlets in the US.”

Way back, two epidemiologists, Nancy Wertheimer and Ed Leeper, linked cancer to electromagnetic fields following a field study. The study was deeply flawed but was taken up by the nonscientific community and reported as fact. Finally, a £12-million study compared the lifestyle of over 1 000 children with leukemia who lived near electromagnetic fields with those who did not and the conclusion was that there was no correlation.

However, the myth lives on, as does the industry and research grants it has spawned. It is extremely cheering that the University of Cincinnati has made this discovery, but it is quite worrying that the frequency range of application is so vast. But, anyway. I have long believed that electromagnetic fields are good for you but, until I have more spare time, I can do no research. Perhaps all I need to do is apply for funding. Something like asking for a couple of million to see if electro- magnetic fields can help tomatoes grow better. Perhaps increasing the Scoville heating level of selected chilli peppers. If you have a grant available, do call.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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