At least 40 million Americans suffer from some form of sleep disorder. Those with sleep disorders are deprived of deep sleep (see below). Poor sleep has a high price. Fatigue is a contributing factor to more than 100,000 police-reported highway crashes, causing 71,000 injuries and 1500 deaths each year in the United States alone. (www.sleepfoundation.org)
Though 6 hours and 40 minutes of sleep is the new average (from 10:53 pm to 5:35 am), most people require 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, with some requiring up to 10 hours per night. Insomnia can result from having problems falling asleep, but it can also include those having problems staying asleep. The five stages (cycles) of sleep During a normal night’s sleep we usually passed through five distinct stages or cycles. Stage 1 is a light sleep where we drift in and out of sleep and can be awakened easily. In Stage 2 eye movements stop and brain waves become slower. In Stage 3 extremely slow brain waves called delta waves begin to appear, interspersed with smaller, faster alpha waves. By Stage 4 the brain produces delta waves almost exclusively. There is no eye movement or muscle activity in Stage 4 sleep. It is very difficult to wake someone during Stages 3 and 4, which together are called “deep sleep.” People awakened during deep sleep do not adjust immediately and often feel groggy and disoriented. In Stage 5 sleep the eyes move rapidly in various directions. This is called “REM” sleep. Breathing becomes more rapid, irregular
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and shallow. The limb muscles become temporarily paralyzed.16 Some experts believe that REM sleep helps to maintain and regenerate the network of neurons in the adult brain. (Bruel-Jungerman 2007) This stage of sleep is necessary for proper central nervous system development. REM sleep in humans decreases with age. The five stages progress in cycles throughout the night from Stage 1 through Stage 3/4 deep sleep and Stage 5 REM sleep, then the cycle starts over again with Stage 1. The first REM period is short, and usually occurs 70-90 minutes after the onset of sleep. REM phases become longer as the night progresses. Adults spend almost 50% of total sleep time in Stage 2 sleep, about 20% in Stage 5 REM sleep and the remaining 30 percent in other stages. Infants spend half their sleep time in REM sleep. The importance of deep sleep As will be stated elsewhere in this text, deep sleep (Stage 3 and 4) is vitally important to human health. In this unconscious state the brain and body regenerate. The immune system is renewed. Human growth hormone is released in a significantly larger quantity than at any other time of the day. Insomnia deprives the body of deep sleep and is detrimental to mental and physical health, and the longevity of the sufferer. Scientific literature on treatment of insomnia: In this four-week double-blind, placebo-controlled study the effect of PEMF therapy for insomnia was explored using 101 patients randomly assigned to one of 3 diagnostic groups. Outcome measures included the intensity of sleep latency, frequency of sleep interruptions, sleepiness after rising, daytime sleepiness, difficulty with concentration, and daytime headaches. (Pelka 2001b) The results of this study are as follows: PEMF group:
70% great improvement in sleep; or free of symptoms 24% significant improvement 6% slight improvement
Placebo:
2% great improvement 49% slight or significant improvement 49% no improvement
A dose-response relationship has recently been established between the strength of electromagnetic field exposure and the induction of sleep in 15 healthy males. The authors used a double-blind, sham-controlled crossover design. (Regel 2007)
16 Heart rate and breathing are irregular during REM sleep, and release of neurotransmitters in the brain is completely shut down. As a result, motor neurons are not stimulated and the muscles of the limbs are in a temporary state of paralysis. This is called “REM atonia� and is a normal occurrence during sleep. Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) involves the loss of REM atonia (see footnote) during otherwise intact REM sleep. The loss of the normal, temporary state of paralysis leads to a wide range of movements during sleep, from small limb twitches to complex integrated movements where sufferers appear to be unconsciously acting out their dreams.
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Nerve injuries Magnetic field therapy accelerates recovery of use of the injured limb and enhances regeneration of damaged nerves in experimentally injured peroneal and sciatic nerves in rats. (Ito 1983; Raji 1984) Subsequent studies have also found the accelerated functional recovery and enhanced healing and regeneration in the sciatic nerve of rats. (Mert 2006; Kanje 1993; Longo 1999) Sisken presented a review of studies using electric and electromagnetic fields that provides evidence for the enhancement of regeneration following nerve injury. (Sisken 1993) Parkinson’s disease In patients with Parkinson’s disease, a specific central messenger substance –dopamine -- is no longer synthesized in sufficient amounts. The result is impairment in central movement control. This includes the resting tremor observed in the extremities, rigidity of muscle tone, shuffling gait, and “freezing” or “braking” (akinesia; inability to move) observed during walking. Scientific literature on treatment of Parkinson’s disease: Magnetic field therapy significantly reduces the tendency to fall (from akinesia) in 80-90% of Parkinson’s patients (80-90%). In addition, other Parkinson’s symptoms also improve. Significant and often lasting improvements in visual evoked potentials, speech impairment, cognitive impairment, male sexual function, dream recall, body image disorder, drooling, and visuospatial performance are reported through the use of extremely weak magnetic fields. It is postulated that PEMFs may augment dopamine and serotonin transmission in the brain. The cognitive (intellectual) performance also increased rapidly. (Sandyk 1996c; 1997a; 1997b; 1995a; 1996d; 1996e) Multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder in which the nervous system attacks the central nervous system. It results in a process called demyelination – the myelin sheath of neurons is damaged. This compromises the transmission of nerve impulses through the affected nerves, causing impairment in sensation, Muscle weakness, muscle spasms, or difficulty with movement, coordination or balance. Problems with speech, swallowing, vision or other functions may also be affected, depending on which nerves are involved. Cognitive impairment (brain processing) of varying degrees and emotional symptoms such as depression may also be experienced. Muscle spasms and spastic contractions are often the most obvious and debilitating symptoms in MS. Pulsating magnetic fields have been shown to benefit muscle spasms in otherwise neurologically intact individuals (e.g., those suffering with back pain, athletic injury or muscle contraction headaches), and can similarly benefit patients with MS. Scientific literature on treatment of multiple sclerosis: The effect of repetitive magnetic stimulation on spasticity was evaluated in 38 patients with multiple sclerosis in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Electromagnetic stimulation was found to have an antispastic effect in multiple sclerosis as measured by patient self-score, clinical spasticity score, and stretch reflex threshold. (Nielsen 1996)
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Thirty MS patients were randomly allocated to receive active versus sham treatment with electromagnetic field therapy. Actively treated subjects showed a significant improvement in the performance scale used, which measured bladder control, cognitive function, fatigue level, mobility, muscle spasticity and vision. There was also a significant improvement in a language task. (Richards 1997) Postherpetic neuralgia Those of us who had chicken pox in youth have the possibility of developing shingles later in life. During an initial infection of chickenpox, some of the virus remains in our bodies, lying dormant inside nerve cells. Years later, the virus may reactivate, causing shingles – a second outbreak of the varicella-zoster virus. Postherpetic neuralgia is a complication of shingles. The risk of developing postherpetic neuralgia is approximately 2% of those who have had chicken pox. (Helgason 2000) However, of those over 50 years of age who develop shingles, between 40-75% will develop postherpetic neuralgia. The rash and blisters that accompany an outbreak of shingles resolves, but some people continue to feel pain that is sharp, jabbing, burning, deep or aching that characterizes postherpetic neuralgia. There is extreme sensitivity to touch and to changes in temperature. Itching, numbness and headaches are also associated with this condition. No treatment is universally successful. However, without understanding the mechanism it appears that magnetic field therapy is effective for many patients. Scientific literature on treatment of postherpetic neuralgia: Vander Straten evaluated interventions to find those that may reduce or eliminate the development of postherpetic neuralgia in patients of 50 years of age with shingles. (Vander Straten 2001) This observational study reports that of 32 patients with shingles, only one developed postherpetic neuralgia. (Again, in the age-group studied, between 13 and 24 pateints would have been expected to develop postherpetic neuralgia.) In 353 patients suffering chronic pain electromagnetic fields had the best effect on those with post-herpetic pain and those suffering with a combination of neck and low back. (Di Massa 1989) 6. Treatment of stress Stress is regulated by the autonomic nervous system. For example, reports of murder, child abuse, economic crisis and political unrest that makes up much of the evening news on television increases our blood pressure. Why is it that bad news is so much more entertaining and/or newsworthy than good news? While we definitely need to stay informed, packaging news as entertainment in order to improve ratings has given rise to a collective angst and “unsettledness” that keeps our sympathetic nervous systems in overdrive. About 90% of hypertension (high blood pressure) is ultimately caused by increased “sympathetic tone.” This can be congenital (in a small number of cases), but more often is due to maladaptive responses to external or internal stresses.
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External stressors include financial pressure, relational disharmony with family, friends and co-workers, and the expectations of others. I recently had a patient who prepared for weeks in advance for her mother to come to visit. This patient was in obvious distress and was nearly frantic about the prospect of not meeting or exceeding her mother’s expectations. During this time the patients with physical condition, in this case her muscle spasm, headaches and back pain, increased. Once her mom had come and gone, the stress decreased and the physical symptoms decreased with it. In this case there was an external stress represented by the mother’s actual visit, but there was also the internal stress of real or imagined expectations. How often are you like that? How often do you place undue pressure upon yourself to perform up to a certain standard? Is the standard real or imagined? Better communication might surprise you, put you at ease, and lower the stress in your life. In some cases we are haunted by living up to the expectations of someone who is no longer living. Overcoming this is hard work, and oftentimes requires some wise counsel and guidance from others. Physical factors also contribute to chronic sympathetic overload. A sedentary lifestyle and obesity are high on the list because these conditions preclude the proper metabolism and elimination of stress hormones once they have been released. We often refer to these hormones as the “fight or flight” hormones. What happens if you are sitting on the couch watching TV and you get stressed out over the evening news? Without physical exercise or action (“fighting or fleeing”) these hormones continued to circulate and build up in the body, leading to increased sympathetic tone. The lack of movement results in insulin resistance. This, in turn, prevents cells from being adequately supplied with sufficient quantities of glucose. Initially hypoglycemia results, and eventually type 2 diabetes may develop. Such persons may be irritable, more prone to stress, and in the case of full-blown diabetes, have increased heart rate and blood pressure. On a microscopic level, cellular damage is widespread in such individuals. The tragedy is that, for many of us, such an end stage of poor health is entirely preventable. It is worth noting that excessive alcohol consumption is often used to manage stress. Clearly this only makes matters worse, contributing not only to the development of diabetes, but also liver damage. Using alcohol to manage stress is a poor strategy. If this is your strategy, stop drinking and get help. Do it now. Heart rate variability as a measure of sympathetic tone and stress Heart rate variability (HRV) is a sensitive marker of cardiac sympathetic activity. (Shuvy 2008) Individuals with high HRV are more stress tolerant and resilient in the face of stressful environmental changes. (Hansen 2008) HRV is a good predictor for all-cause mortality and sudden death. It can be used as a clinical indicator for the risk of sudden cardiac death. (Katz 1999) Analyzing vagal reflexes in combination with HRV significantly increases the prognostic value of HRV in predicting total cardiac mortality. (La Rovere 1998) Pulsating magnetic fields have been shown to have the ability to create a natural balance between sympathetic nervous system function (stress; “fight or flight (or fright!)”) and parasympathetic function (relaxation; “rest and digest”). (Anan’in 2001) However,
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research into the intricacies of the autonomic nervous system is still in its infancy. While it is comparatively easy to comprehend the direct effects of pulsating magnetic signaling on bone, wound healing and arthritis (since the pathophysiology of these processes is well understood) it is more difficult to understand the complex mechanisms by which these fields may have a stronger, more fundamental impact on overall human health through the improvement of autonomic balance. Stress-related pathologies of the autonomic nervous system have yet to be fully discovered, described, and understood. Due to sweeping changes in modern society (e.g., the profusion of knowledge, information, decentralization, travel, the threat of wars, the decline of the sense of community, and growing isolation within our homes), at no time in history has an understanding of the autonomic nervous system been more necessary and important to our overall health.17 Treatments and interventions that successfully improve the function of this system will be widely sought after and appreciated in a manner similar to the growth in our understanding of the benefits of regular physical exercise in the last 50 years. I believe magnetic resonance stimulation will play a central role in our battle against the epidemic of stress now spreading like a vapor through the modern world. In summary, stress can have many manifestations in the human body. These include high blood pressure, psychological and emotional stress, cardiac arrhythmia, insomnia, and hastening of metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance. Scientific literature on treatment of stress: Woldanska-Okonska et al reported on the effect of electromagnetic stimulation on cortisol secretion in humans. (Woldanska-Okonska 2003) The authors found that the circadian profile of cortisol secretion changed by 100% in patients exposed to the magnetic fields. Interestingly, five times weekly application of magnetic field therapy resulted in a lowering of cortisol secretion at 4:00 PM one day after completing 15 applications. Changes were also noted one month after completing these applications, suggesting a long-term effect of magnetic field therapy on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. In a study of the influence of pulsed electromagnetic therapy on heart rhythm in hypertensive workers exposed to high levels of vibrational stress, positive changes were noted in autonomic
17 Think, for a moment, about our perception of time. Millennia ago we measured time by seasons. There was a harvest time, winter, summer, and spring. Later, we developed calendars and began celebrating festivals. The measurement of time contracted further by the recognition of days of the week, then hours of the day. The stress and time-pressure of life is now so intense that we measure life in seconds, wear wristwatches, and get flustered if our Internet connection is too slow. Blackberries and iPhones are essential. Texting is now vital to our second-by-second need for communication and information.
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