Clinical Research

Brief Summary of EnerMed Migraine Research

The first systematic study of the effects of this pulsed electromagnetic frequency generator was an uncontrolled outcome study of 54 chronic migraine patients using an early prototype of the Enermed used today. (1)  Headache diaries indicated that migraine frequency dropped from an average of 1.2 to 0.6 per week for a 50% reduction in occurrence.  A significant decrease in severity and duration of headaches was also reported.

In 1994 a one-page questionnaire was sent to patients who had purchased an early version of the Enermed device. (2) Of the 262 migraine sufferers responding, 94% (246 subjects) reported severe pre-treatment symptoms (7-10 based on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being perfectly well and 10 being extremely bad).  After using the device only 21% (55 subjects) reported severe symptoms.  63% of subjects reported post treatment ratings in the 1 to 4 range typically reflecting improvements of five points on the ten-point scale.

In a follow up patient survey conducted in 1999 migraine patients reported the following effects of treatment based on a scale 0-10 where 0 = “Not at all effective and 10 = “extremely effective.”

Extremely effective- 25%;  Very effective- 25%;

Moderately Effective- 20%;  Mildly Effective- 5%;

Not At All Effective- 25%   

While some may regard the above studies to be “unscientific” they provided the impetus for The United States National Institutes of Health to provide funding for a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to study the effect of the Enermed device on symptoms of Migraine.

For this study(3) 41 subjects with a clinical diagnosis of migraine were recruited.  Random selection allocated 21 subjects to the active treatment group and 20 to the control group.  Subjects and investigators remained blinded to treatment conditions throughout the study.   Study results showed a 67% decrease in the number of migraines reported by the active treatment group while the control group numbers were unchanged.  

• Young S, Davey R,  Pilot study concerning the effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic energy on migraine.  Int. J Alt Complement Med 1993; October

• Lappin MS.  Research on the Utility of the Enermed Device as a treatment for migraine. Vancouver, BC: Energy Medicine Developments, 1995

• Lappin, MS. Non-Invasive pulsed electromagnetic therapy for migraine and multiple sclerosis. In PJ Rosch and M Markov (Eds), Clinical Applications of Bioelectromagnetic Medicine. New York: Marcel Dekker Publishing 2004. 277-29

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Brief Summary of EnerMed Multiple Sclerosis Research

In 1996 Dr. Todd Richards, a Neurophysicist at the University of Washington conducted a double-blind, placebo controlled study on the effects of the EnerMed Therapy on symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.(1) This study was supported by a grant from The United States National Institutes of Health, Neurologic and Stroke Division.

30 clinically diagnosed MS patients were enrolled. 15 subjects were randomly assigned to both the active therapy group and to the control group. 

The MS Performance Scale (MSPS)(2) is a summed composite of disability in eight areas: fatigue, cognitive function, mobility, spasticity, hand function, bladder control, sensory symptoms and vision.  The MSPS was the primary outcome measure in this study.

The treatment period was two months.  At the completion of the study, subjects from the active treatment group showed statistically significant improvements in their MSPS.

The positive results of the above study prompted the Multiple Sclerosis Association of  America to fund a multi-site, double-blind placebo controlled, crossover study.  Research sites were in Virginia, New Jersey and Washington State.   Primary outcome measures relating to fatigue, bladder control, spasticity and pain were taken from the MS Quality of Life Inventory (MSQLI) (4)  Secondary outcome measures utilized the MSPS and a daily diary rating of spasticity and bladder control. Subjects received four weeks of active therapy and four weeks of sham therapy separated by a two-week wash out period. 117 subjects completed both stages of the study.

Results were assessed using paired t-tests after subtracting baseline scores from active and placebo treatment scores.  Two of the four MSQLI scores (fatigue and spasticity) showed significant improvement. 

A Quality of Life composite from the MSQLI (fatigue, spasms and pain) also showed significant treatment benefits.(5)

134 MS patients replied to a survey conducted by Energy Medicine Developments.  We asked responders to rate the effectiveness of the EnerMed Therapy on their symptoms.  78% of responders said the EnerMed gave them positive results.  45% rated the therapy as “very effective” while 22% reported no benefits.

• Richards TL, Lappin, MS, Acosta-Urquidi J, et al:  Double-blind study of pulsing  magnetic field effects on multiple sclerosis.

J Alt Complement Med 1997; 3:21-29

• Schwartz CE, Vollmer T, Lee H.  Reliability and validity of two self-report measures of impairment and disability for MS. 

North American Research Consortium on Multiple Sclerosis Outcomes Study Group.  Neurology 1999; 52: 63-70. 

• Lappin MS, Lawrie FW, Richards TL, Kramer ED (2002). Effects of a pulsed electromagnetic therapy on multiple sclerosis fatigue and quality of life.: A double-blind placebo controlled trail. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 9(4): 38-48

• Rivto PG, Fischer JS, Miller DM, et al:  Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Inventory: A User’s Manual. New York: National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 1997.

• Lappin, MS. Non-Invasive pulsed electromagnetic therapy for migraine and multiple sclerosis. In PJ Rosch and M Markov (Eds), Clinical Applications of Bioelectromagnetic Medicine. New York: Marcel Dekker Publishing 2004.  277-291

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