The advantageous effects of electromagnetic and induced electrical fields in bone and soft tissue healing

The use of magnetic fields and electricity as clinical treatment modalities has been well documented in the academic and popular press. Their indiscriminate use has lead to many bogus claims and positioned these types of treatments as a cure for all ills. To establish and confirm their effectiveness in treating and managing specific clinical conditions, many research laboratories have conducted and published basic and clinical studies. In the last two decades work by researchers around the globe has lead to an understanding as to how electromagnetic fields, with their inherent induced electrical fields, interact with and stimulate biological repair processes. The use of pulsing electromagnetic fields and direct current stimulators in Orthopaedics is not a replacement for good fracture/surgical management. Their roles are to stimulate the biological sequences necessary to repair recalcitrant clinical conditions. They have been shown to be effective as an alternative to further surgery or can be used as an adjunct to planned surgical intervention