The Silver Wand 179
seems to inhibit it in lab animals. This claim is seriously flawed, how-
ever, because of the difference between subjecting an entire animal to a
magnetic field, and directing the same field to a small area around a
fracture (see Chapter 12). Moreover, in 1983, Akamine, a Japanese
orthopedic researcher, reported that the pulsed magnetic fields used for
bone healing dramatically increased the mitotic rate of cancer cells. The
same fields inhibited the return of such "stimulated" cancer cells to a
more normal state. Thus PEMF, like high-current treatments, appar-
ently does enhance cancer growth.
In the last decade or so, electrobiologists have learned a great deal
about the effects of time-varying electromagnetic fields (as opposed to
steady-state fields) on living tissue. We'll review these discoveries in
Chapters 14 and 15. The evidence to date indicates that PEMF works by
increasing the mitotic rate of the healing cells, not by altering calcium
metabolism. If so, it can't possibly discriminate between bone-healing
cells and any other type. It will accelerate the growth of any cellular
system that is actively growing; this includes not only healing tissues,
but fetal and malignant tissues as well.
At the present rate of basic research, we won't have direct proof on
whether electrical healing stimulators are nurturing seeds of cancer in
humans until two or three decades from now. We could find out much
sooner by simple experiments on animals having shorter life-spans. Until
we have that definitive answer, I contend that all three techniques
should remain available as a last resort to prevent loss of limb, but I'm
appalled at their increasing use to speed up orthodontics or accelerate
healing of fresh fractures.
Unfortunately, the trend is away from caution. By the time this book
is published, tens of thousands of patients will have been treated with
the devices, many as a first, rather than last, resort. At a recent
orthopedic meeting, I learned that four more companies are hoping to
market new models. Several have asked me to advise them, but I haven't
found one yet that wants to embark on any serious research. Without
such a commitment, I refuse to take part in any battle of salesmen. I
never even tried to patent the low-current silver method, because a med-
ical device generally isn't considered patentable if the research that went
into it was conducted throughout the scientific community and pub-
lished for all to read. As I see it, the rush to the marketplace can only
spawn
jurisdictional
disputes and
ensure that
important findings are
kept as proprietary secrets.
Electrical osteogenesis could be the opening wedge into a new era of
medicine. Within a few years, we may know how to use these tech-