Treatment With AC Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields Prevents Seasonal Exacerbation of Symptoms in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Seasonal variation in symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been well documented in the literature and points to the influence of environmental factors on the pathogenesis of the disease. The majority of these studies indicate an increased rate of exacerbation during the spring and/or autumn both of which are associated with desynchronization of circadian pineal melatonin secretion with nadirs in plasma melatonin levels. Three MS patients who experienced annually recurrent and incapacitating seasonal exacerbations of existing symptoms are presented. The first patient, a 49 year old woman, developed over the past 6 years recurrent exacerbations of symptoms in the spring which lasted for about a month. The second patient, a 53 year old woman, experienced over the past 7 years recurrent exacerbations of symptoms in the autumn which lasted through January of the following year. The third patient, a 42 year old woman, experienced recurrent exacerbations of symptoms in the spring and autumn over the past 15 years. In these patients, intermittent transcranial treatments with AC pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of 7.5 picotesla flux density produced a significant decrease in motor disability and additionally prevented seasonal exacerbations of symptoms. Since the pineal gland functions as a neuroendocrine transducer and an immunoregulator, it is believed that desynchronization of circadian melatonin secretion associated with a decline in melatonin levels during the spring and autumn facilitated exacerbation of the disease. The pineal gland is a magneto-sensor organ and pulsed applications of these EMFs may have synchronized circadian melatonin rhythms and thus prevented seasonal exacerbations of symptoms.

Keywords:

• Electromagnetic fields
• picotesla
• multiple sclerosis
• seasonal exacerbation of symptoms
• pineal gland
• melatonin