The therapeutic use of electromagnetic fields in plastic surgery

Abstract

Before the 20th century, humankind was almost never exposed to sources of radio frequency (RF), electromagnetic fields (EMFs) other than those of the sun, or occasional blasts from other stellar sources. In this century, especially in recent years, there has been an explosion of uses of electromagnetic fields in the home, community, and workplace. Common sources of RF fields include computer monitors, AM radios, industrial induction heaters, RF heat sealers, medical diathermy, FM radios, mobile telephones, TV broadcasts, radar, and microwave ovens1 (see Table). An EMF can produce beneficial or adverse health effects, which may vary depending on the frequency spectrum of the source and its harmonics, the power of the devices, the duration of exposure, and the distance of the person from the source. View this table: Table Common sources of EMF and their frequency In the home, microwave ovens, mobile telephones, burglar alarms, TV sets, and hair dryers are a few of the devices that emit EMFs of up to 10 W/m2. In the community, the most common sources are commercial radio and TV broadcasting and telecommunication facilities, which in the average US urban center radiate a field of 50 W/m2. In the workplace, dielectric heaters used for wood lamination and the sealing of plastics, industrial electric heaters, and medical diathermy expose workers to greater than tens of W/m2. In medicine, the primary sources of exposure and overexposure exclusive of radiology are medical diathermy equipment to treat pain and inflammation and electrocautery devices. These medical devices are regulated in the United States and internationally.2–6 Claims that static magnets may …