NASA and PEMF

NASA undertook a four-year collaborative project in the early 2000s to research the efficacy and mechanisms of PEMF therapy, driven by the need to improve astronauts' health during long-duration space missions. They faced issues like bone loss (about 1-2 percent per month) and muscle atrophy (up to 10-20 percent loss after short missions). 

Returning astronauts complained of nausea, dizziness, and headaches, which would sometimes last for days. With the launch of the Salyut 1 in 1971 and the International Space Station in 1998, NASA doctors had to deal with the long-term effects of space travel, such as:

• Bone Loss. Bones thin by about 1–2 percent a month in space, putting astronauts at risk of fractures and early-onset osteoporosis when they return to Earth.
• Muscle Loss. Muscles atrophy in microgravity. It’s not uncommon for astronauts to lose up to 10-20 percent of their muscle mass after short missions and up to 50 percent after long missions. Cartilage deteriorates as well, around eight percent a week in load-bearing joints.
• Inflammation. Solar radiation is significantly more intense outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Prolonged exposure increases oxidative stress, leading to chronic inflammation.
• Lowered Immunity. Heightened radiation kills off white blood cells, weakening the astronaut’s immune response.
• Heart Atrophy. Blood volume drops 10-20 percent after a few days in space. With less blood to pump, the heart weakens and gradually loses its shape. Because it doesn’t have to beat as hard outside Earth’s gravity, heart muscles begin to atrophy as well.
• Insomnia. Astronauts see 16 sunrises and sunsets over the course of a day. Since light is central to our circadian rhythm, many astronauts develop sleep disorders while in orbit.

• Depression and Anxiety. The cramped environment, physical demands, and lack of communication with friends and family can take a toll on an astronaut’s mental health.

   

NASA PEMF Study

The research, led by Dr. Thomas Goodwin at NASA Johnson Space Center, revealed several important discoveries:

• PEMF therapy could accelerate the repair and growth of tissues, particularly significant for wound healing
• PEMF therapy could significantly stimulate the growth of stem cells
• Exposure of mammalian cartilage and bone tissue to tuned magnetic fields modifies genetic regulation at a cellular level

PEMF therapy energizes a person’s cells by replicating the bioelectric signals used to control cellular respiration ‒ the process by which cells break down glucose to form energy. This provides more fuel for the cells’ basic functions and helps them grow and divide, stimulating the body’s regenerative processes. As a result, patients who undergo PEMF therapy heal faster and experience better outcomes than those who don’t.

Though the restorative properties of PEMF have been known for over 50 years, NASA wanted to discover which magnetic frequencies produce the best results. To this end, they commissioned a $3.5 million study examining the effects of low-amplitude, rapidly time-varying electromagnetic fields on osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and vascular cells (i.e. bone, cartilage, and blood vessels). The cells were suspended in cultures and exposed to PEMF devices, while their gene expressions were recorded and analyzed. After four years of repeated experiments, researchers found that PEMF had a “potent effect on the proliferation, morphology, and gene expression of the cells.”

In basic terms, NASA found that PEMF helps cells multiply rapidly. What’s more, the new cells are healthy and develop the shape, size, form, and structure necessary to carry out their intended functions. 

These results were replicated several times over the course of the study, leading NASA biologists to conclude that PEMF is a stable and reliable method for controlling high-level cellular processes, thereby improving health and mitigating the negative effects of space travel.

NASA PEMF Technology

Because of its positive effects on physiological regeneration, NASA scientists have begun expanding their PEMF technology, with obvious applications for the civilian healthcare sector. In 2009, the agency was awarded a patent (US 7,601,114 B2) for its research into pulsed electromagnetic fields. Though PEMF devices are already widespread, NASA drew on its findings to create a device specifically designed to rebuild cartilage in synovial joints. Regardless of their cause (rheumatism, joint dysplasia, injury, etc.), joint disorders degrade quickly, limiting mobility and leaving patients in a great deal of pain.

Cartilage loss is a common side effect of both space travel (without regular mechanical stress, cartilage loses its ability to resist tensile and compressive forces) and osteoarthritis. Initial studies on early-stage arthritis patients used low-frequency magnetic pulses and showed encouraging results. NASA doctors found that PEMF increased the magnitude and rate of cellular growth, leading to restoration of compromised tissue within the targeted joint.