Magnetic stimulation device could speed up muscle healing

Building muscle is a slow and arduous process, requiring dedication and hours of often tedious exercise. For the elderly and those recovering from surgery or enforced immobility after injury, it can be a frustrating process, and loss of muscle mass can have considerable negative effects on overall health. The team at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have built a device which they call MRegen, which uses non-invasive magnetic fields. The team claims that this "tricks" muscle cells into acting as though they have been exercising, which triggers them to adapt and improve at an accelerated speed.

The team, led by Alfredo Franco-Oberegón, studied the effects of magnetism on muscle growth and claims to be exploiting two fundamental effects. Firstly, they say, muscle development is regulated by energy production, and secondly, energy management is extremely sensitive to magnetic fields.

“The device provides a uniform electromagnetic field to a muscle area at a magnitude and pulse duration that reproduces the same regenerative, energetic and metabolic responses as physical activity," explained Franco-Oberegón. "The duration of use for the device has been optimised for providing the largest therapeutic effect in terms of muscle equality, function and metabolic stability. The device is especially useful in reducing muscle degradation in periods when physical activity is not possible.”