by Keith R. Holden, M.D.

It is well known that Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy stimulates bone formation, and assist in healing non-union fractures.1, 2 The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several devices that transmit low level PEMFs for treatment of non-union of fractures. There is also promising evidence that PEMF therapy may help prevent and treat osteoporosis. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Low-level PEMFs have also been shown to positively affect enzyme based processes at the cellular level and stimulate growth factors involved in cellular repair and bone formation. 8, 9 Every cell membrane carries an electromagnetic charge, and PEMFs alter this charge by causing movement of ions across the cell membrane.  Low-level PEMFs have been shown to exert an anti-inflammatory effect through restoration of plasma membrane calcium ATPase activity. 10

Apart from the effects at the cellular level, multiple published scientific studies show that low-level PEMFs produce a statistically significant reduction in pain when treating acute whiplash injuries, chronic musculoskeletal pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, epicondylitis, and neuropathic pain. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

A 2003 study by NASA showed that very low level PEMFs up-regulate genes involved in normal cell growth. 19 NASA scientists have investigated PEMFs with the ultimate goal of creating an astronaut suit that would provide a countermeasure for the muscle atrophy and bone loss associated with space flight. 20

In addition to devices for treating non-union of bone fractures, the FDA has approved a PEMF device that has been successful in treatment of refractory depression by a technique called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). rTMS is a nice alternative to the radical technique of electroconvulsive therapy.

Ondamed is a battery-powered biofeedback device that a medical practitioner uses to determine which frequencies of sound, as well as the accompanying weak pulsed electromagnetic fields, cause a response in a patient's autonomic nervous system. Temporary stimulation by these frequencies, combined with the patient's cognitive and non-cognitive participation, promotes relaxation, muscle re-education, and rehabilitation that returns the body to its former state of wellness.

The Ondamed is registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a Biofeedback Class II medical device, Category Neurology. It is not FDA approved to diagnose or treat any medical condition yet, but it has been approved for use under the supervision of AAABEM, an Institutional Review Board, as safe for research or clinical testing as a non-invasive secondary therapeutic device in the treatment of pain, discomfort, or general malaise.

The Ondamed produces very low-level pulsed electromagnetic frequencies in the range of 0.1-32,000 Hz, which have not been shown to harm the body. Cell phones put out much stronger frequencies than this.

The device was introduced to me by Daniel Kessler, D.O., a Mayo Clinic trained physician practicing in Jacksonville. Daniel's father, a complementary medicine physician from Germany was the medical advisor for the company, but never took any money from Ondamed, even when traveling throughout the U.S. to give seminars and training. I was told he doesn't take money from Ondamed because he is so thankful for the device and how it has helped hundreds of his patients.

Dr. Kessler has written an e-book on the Ondamed, which is available for download from his website at www.Dr-Kessler.com

Dr Kessler says that the low level pulsed electromagnetic frequencies produced by the Ondamed decrease inflammation at the cellular level by helping the body's normal cell function through an exchange of electrons, which facilitates movement of regulatory ions across cell membranes.

In developing the Ondamed, the inventor, Rolf Binder, a German electronics engineer, ingeniously combined the concepts of PEMF therapy with a pulse biofeedback called the Vascular Autonomic Signal (VAS). The VAS is a vital element of auricular acupuncture, and was discovered in 1966 by a French physician, Paul Nogier.

Dr. Nogier found that when he touched certain points on the ear, he was able to detect a change in strength of the pulse at the radial artery. This pulse change is one of amplitude and waveform, not rate or rhythm. It is postulated that this change in the arterial wall is caused by a neurovascular response of the body to a stimulus that is brought into its energy field. The stimulus induces this change by setting up a resonance between dysfunction in the body and the electromagnetic signature of the stimulus, in this case, PEMF.

The VAS is measured by placing the thumb on the radial pulse, and consistent positioning of the thumb is integral to accurately detecting this change in the pulse waveform.

By combining an autonomic nervous system based pulse biofeedback with very low-level pulsed electromagnetic frequencies, a practitioner is able to personalize the PEMF via the Ondamed based on an individual’s specific needs. In other words, one doesn’t just place an applicator on a patient, push a button, cross your fingers, and hope that the correct pulsed electromagnetic frequency is applied.  

By applying these low level pulsed electromagnetic frequencies in conjunction with pulse biofeedback, the body actually "tells" the practitioner applying the Ondamed which frequencies to apply and where to apply them. The practitioner applies these frequencies to the body by a neck applicator, and scrolls through the frequencies depending on which module (protocol) of the machine is being used, while checking the radial pulse.

When a frequency is applied that the body resonates with (for stimulation of tissue repair or balancing), the radial pulse will spike (increase in intensity - starts bounding). The practitioner can then narrow down the frequency by the best pulse response. The Ondamed has three other applicators: a handheld wand, a large pad, and a smaller pad that can be placed anywhere on the body. The PEMFs can be applied to the body without the removal of any clothing.  

I believe PEMF devices, such as the Ondamed, represent the future of medicine as tools of integrative biophysics due to their effectiveness at the bioenergetic cellular level and lack of side effects.

For more information, go to Ondamed’s website at www.Ondamed.net

To view a video about the Ondamed, click here: Ondamed Video

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