One-year-survey with multicenter data of more than 4,500 patients with degenerative rheumatic diseases treated with therapeutic nuclear magnetic resonance

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Treatment Accelerates the Regeneration of Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons in vitro

Functional recovery from peripheral nerve injuries depends on a multitude of factors. Schwann cells (SCs) are key players in the regenerative process as they develop repair-specific functions to promote axon regrowth. However, chronically denervated SCs lose their repair phenotype, which is considered as a main reason for regeneration failure. Previous studies reported a modulatory effect of low nuclear magnetic resonance therapy (NMRT) on cell proliferation and gene expression. To provide first insight into a possible effect of NMRT on cells involved in peripheral nerve regeneration, this study investigated whether NMRT is able to influence the cellular behavior of primary SC and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron cultures in vitro. The effect of NMRT on rat SCs was evaluated by comparing the morphology, purity, proliferation rate, and expression levels of (repair) SC associated genes between NMRT treated and untreated SC cultures. In addition, the influence of (1) NMRT and (2) medium obtained from NMRT treated SC cultures on rat DRG neuron regeneration was examined by analyzing neurite outgrowth and the neuronal differentiation status. Our results showed that NMRT stimulated the proliferation of SCs without changing their morphology, purity, or expression of (repair) SC associated markers. Furthermore, NMRT promoted DRG neuron regeneration shown by an increased cell survival, enhanced neurite network formation, and progressed neuronal differentiation status. Furthermore, the medium of NMRT treated SC cultures was sufficient to support DRG neuron survival and neurite outgrowth. These findings demonstrate a beneficial impact of NMRT on DRG neuron survival and neurite formation, which is primarily mediated via SC stimulation. Our data suggest that NMRT could be suitable as a non-invasive auxiliary treatment option for peripheral nerve injuries and encourage future studies that investigate the effect of NMRT in a physiological context.

Magnetic resonance therapy in the treatment of osteoarthritis: A scoping review

OBJECTIVES

To primarily assess the existing literature about Magnetic Resonance Therapy (MRT) or Molecular Biophysical Stimulation Therapy (MBST) in the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis (OA). The scoping review question was: What has been reported about MRT or MBST concerning treatment of patients with OA?

KEY FINDINGS

The applied treatment program consisted of one hour daily treatment for patients in all the included studies. In terms of duration of treatment, four studies suggested treatment for nine consecutive days, two for five days and one study reported treatment on weekdays for two weeks. Six of the studies investigated the effect of MRT on the knee and one study for finger, ankle, and hip, respectively. Consensus across studies was that MRT had a positive, almost always significant, effect. Six out of the seven studies had subjective outcome measurements such as pain, quality of life and joint function, which were measured through self-reported questionnaires. One study combined ultrasonography with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to evaluate structural joint changes. This evaluation was performed by a radiologist. One study used objective measurement of cartilage thickness through a minimal distance algorithm. All tests used MBST-systems.

CONCLUSION

This scoping review showed that there seems to be a beneficial effect of MRT in the treatment of patients with OA in relation to improvement in pain, joint function, and quality of life. However, more robust research and further evaluation of MRT are needed.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Treating patients diagnosed with OA with MRT for one hour for five to ten days seemed to improve pain, joint function, quality of life as well as regeneration of cartilage. However, limitations of the included studies in this scoping review, such as a general lack of control groups, low sample sizes, lack of control for confounding factors such as medication, calls for more robust research with stronger study designs.

Nuclear magnetic resonance therapy (MBST) in the treatment of osteoporosis. Case report study

Despite various pharmacological treatments, the problem of osteoporosis is not yet solved nor decreased. Drug's adverse event and fractures after long termed pharmacotherapy indicate a need for new treatment modalities. Nuclear magnetic resonance therapy could be a supplement to exercise and an alternative or supplement to pharmacotherapy. Number of clinical studies showed increase of BMD after nuclear magnetic resonance therapy and here presented case reports of eleven well-documented cases in which patients experienced severe trauma, having a huge hematoma around the hip but did not suffer any fracture, encourage this expectation. This case report study additionally presents case reports based on the follow-up of the incidence of fractures in a group of 450 patients (males n = 55, females n = 395) with a mean age of 68.4 years. All patients had been treated with MBST - therapeutic nuclear magnetic resonance, standard cycles of 10 days subsequently and followed during a five-year period. The data indicates that NMRT might reduce a risk of fractures in osteoporotic patients.

Nuclear magnetic resonance therapy in lumbar disc herniation with lumbar radicular syndrome: effects of the intervention on pain intensity, health-related quality of life, disease-related disability, consumption of pain medication, duration of sick leave and MRI analysis

PURPOSE

The objective was to assess the effects of therapeutic nuclear magnetic resonance (tNMR) as a conservative treatment for lumbar radicular syndrome (LRS) in patients with lumbar disc herniation.

METHODS

The prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included 94 patients, aged 20-60 years (44.79 ± 8.83), with LRS caused by lumbar disc herniation confirmed by MRI scans and with clinical signs of a radicular lesion without indication for surgical intervention. Treatment group (TG) and control group (CG) received standard non-surgical therapy. Additionally, the TG had seven sessions with the tNMR device with a magnetic flux density of 2.3 mT and a frequency of 85 kHz; the CG received 7 sham treatments. Outcome parameters were the treatment effect on pain intensity (Visual Analogue Scale-VAS), health-related quality of life (36-item Short Form Health Survey-SF-36), disease-related disability (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire-RMDQ), pain medication intake, duration of sick leave and morphological changes assessed by MRI scan analysis.

RESULTS

VAS scores improved significantly in both groups (p < 0.000). Only in week 4, improvement in the TG significantly surpassed that of the CG (morning pain p = 0.011, evening pain = 0.001). In both groups, SF-36 scores reflected a significant amendment in the physical component score (p < 0.000) and a significant deterioration in the mental component score (p < 0.000). SF-36 scores did not differ significantly between groups. RMDQ showed a significant amelioration in both groups (TG and CG p < 0.000), with a tendency to a superior benefit in the TG (p = 0.083). Patients in the TG recorded significantly fewer days of sick leave in month 3 after treatment (p = 0.026). MRI scan summary scores improved significantly in both groups (L4/5 p < 0.000, L5/S1 p < 0.001) and did not differ significantly between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This trial was the first to investigate the effects of tNMR as an additional treatment of lumbar disc herniation with LRS. The application of tNMR did not meet MCID criteria. It rendered few statistically significant differences between patient groups. The overall results of this trial make a clinical implementation of tNMR in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation with LRS appear premature. Further research is needed to better understand the mode of action of tNMR on compressed neural tissue and to elucidate the issue of the cost/benefit ratio.