The use of tPEMF as a pain-free intervention is gaining traction in veterinary medicine.

Targeted pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, as the name suggests, employs electromagnetic waves targeted at specific frequencies to initiate natural healing. It is a pain-free – noninvasive and non-pharmacological – approach to bringing pain relief and promoting recovery.

tPEMF works by inducing a tiny electrical signal mimicking normal physiological stimulus that promotes cellular repair. tPEMF accelerates the inbuilt anti-inflammatory responses of the body thus jumpstarting a cascade of recovery processes.

Some non-targeted PEMF applications, such as bone growth stimulators, have been in use in human medicine since 1970’s.  In the past decade the technology has evolved and proved its effectiveness in different conditions not only in human but also animal case studies. The tech has shown excellent outcomes in the domains of pain management, recovery stimulation, and anxiety control.

Overview of some animal studies

1. A study that involved treating canines, which had gone through osteotomy, 1 hr per day with bone growth stimulation devices based on PEMF technology showed promising results. The treatment showed faster recoveries.¹
2. PEMF has shown good results against canine osteoarthritis. One study found that after 20 18-minute treatment sessions, there were reduced clinical signs of the disease.²
3. tPEMF treatment was also effective in canines that had spinal decompression surgeries. There was a reduction in surgical incision site pain, improved proprioceptive functions, and lower concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers.³
4. Two different studies conducted on rats revealed that PEMF treatments accelerated the growth of new blood vessels and promoted wound healing by enhancing vascularization, tissue perfusion, and oxygenation. ^{4, 5}
5. PEMF has also shown effectiveness in treating mood and behavioral disorders in animals. It was observed in a study that tPEMF resulted in reduced production of inflammatory cytokines in the brains of laboratory animals. ⁶

Targeted tPEMF Products

Zomedica, the company behind Assisi products, is the only animal health company that offers tPEMF devices that are FDA-cleared and highly effective in providing relief to ailing and distressed pets. Assisi tPEMF devices have the backing of peer-reviewed clinical research.

Currently, Zomedica has two ingenious tPEMF product variants to offer:

1. Assisi Loop
2. The Calmer Canine Anxiety Treatment System

Zomedica’s Assisi loop tPEMF products are based on a specific waveform that accelerates healing by reducing swelling, inflammation, and pain. Due to the non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical nature of these products, they are a very safe treatment approach when it comes to stimulating recovery in pets.

The Calmer Canine is a more recent offering by Zomedica. This tPEMF device affects the brain’s neural tissue biologically by using a targeted tPEMF signal. The device counters animal anxiety and helps restore a balanced emotional state.

Find more about the Assisi tPEMF products by visiting Zomedica’s Assisi website.

References:

1. N. Inoue, I. Ohnishi, D. Chen, L.W. Deitz, J.D. Schwardt, E.Y. Chao

Effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) on late-phase osteotomy gap healing in a canine tibial model J. Orthop. Res., 20 (2002), pp. 1106-1114)

2. S. Pinna, F. Landucci, A.M. Tribuiani, F. Carli, A. Venturini

The effects of pulsed electromagnetic field in the treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs: Clinical Study. Pak. Vet. J., 33 (2012), pp. 96-100)

4. N. Zidan, J. Fenn, E. Griffith, P.J. Early, C.L. Mariani, K.R. Munana, J. Guevar, N. Olby.

The effect of electromagnetic fields on postoperative pain and locomotor recovery in dogs with acute, severe thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion: a randomized placebo-controlled, prospective clinical trial. J. Neurotrauma (2018)

4. D. Roland, M. Ferder, R. Kothuru, T. Faierman, B. Strauch

Effects of pulsed magnetic energy on a microsurgically transferred vessel. Plast. Reconstr. Surg., 105 (2000), pp. 1371-1374

5. R.V. Weber, A. Navarro, J.K. Wu, H.L. Yu, B. Strauch

Pulsed magnetic fields applied to a transferred arterial loop support the rat groin composite flap. Plast. Reconstr. Surg., 114 (2004), pp. 1185-1189

6. J. Rasouli, R. Lekhraj, N.M. White, E.S. Flamm, A.A. Pilla, B. Strauch, D. Casper

Attenuation of interleukin-1beta by pulsed electromagnetic fields after traumatic brain injury. Neurosci. Lett., 519 (2012), pp. 4-8)