Characterization of pulsed magnetic field therapy in a rat model for rheumatoid arthritis.

Recent studies have shown that pulsed magnetic fields (PMF) provide a practical, exogenous method for inducing cell and tissue modifications, as therapy for selected pathological states. A number of clinical studies, in vivo animal experiments and in vitro cellular and membrane research reports suggest that PMF stimulation can significantly reduce pain and accelerate the healing process. However, PMFs are still not widely used in clinical medicine. This research examines the effects of PMFs using an animal model that resembles human rheumatoid arthritis. Using serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) and joint edema evaluation, we were able to monitor disease progression and PMF therapeutic effectiveness. We have used these methods to correlate changes in an acute phase serum protein, alpha-2-macroglobulin, with other indicators of rheumatoid arthritis in Lewis rats treated daily with PMF therapy. The results indicate that PMFs may be a promising non-invasive treatment for chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.