Treatment of conditions susceptible to pulsed electromagnetic field therapy

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to methods for treating diseases or conditions with pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, where the disease or condition treated is one susceptible to modulation of gene expression by pulsed electromagnetic field therapy. The present disclosure generally relates to methods of modulating gene expression and biological regulatory pathways with pulsed electromagnetic field therapy for treating diseases or conditions associated with such gene expression or regulatory pathways that are susceptible to modulation by pulsed electromagnetic therapy, including diseases or conditions associated with inflammation, nerve pain and wound repair.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of reducing a pain condition in a patient in need thereof, the method comprising:
 administering a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) treatment to a patient, the PEMF treatment comprising applying the PEMF treatment to a treatment site of the patient with a pulse frequency of about 1000 Hertz (Hz) and a pulse width of about 42 microseconds (μs); and   modulating, by administering the PEMF treatment, gene expression for at least one of a pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene, a pro-enkephalin (PENK) gene, and a prodynorphin (PDY) gene in at least one of a neuronal cell, an human epidermal keratinocyte (HEK) cell, a human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell, and an human monocyte cells (HM C) cell of the treatment site,   wherein the pain condition is susceptible to modulation of gene expression for the at least one of the POMC gene, the PENK gene, and the PDYN gene.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein administering the PEMF treatment modulates nerve function. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein administering the PEMF treatment modulates expression of one or more of genes associated with nerve function. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein administering the PEMF treatment produces one of an increase in sympathetic skin response (SSR) waveform amplitude, a decrease in SSR time-to-onset, and an increase in nerve conduction velocity. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the PEMF treatment is administered to a foot of the patient. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the PEMF treatment administered over a treatment period that decreases a pain score reported by the patient over the treatment period. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing a first angiography assessment to obtain a first angiographic signal for a targeted epidermal tissue prior to administering the PEMF treatment; and   performing a second angiography assessment to obtain a second angiographic signal for the targeted epidermal tissue following administering the PEMF treatment, wherein the second angiographic signal is greater than the first angiographic signal.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 measuring a first skin perfusion pressure of a targeted epidermal tissue prior to administering the PEMF; and   measuring a second skin perfusion pressure of the targeted epidermal tissue at following administering the PEMF treatment, wherein the second measured skin perfusion pressure is greater than the first measured skin perfusion pressure.   
     
     
         9 . A method of modulating skin perfusion pressure in a patient in need thereof, the method comprising:
 performing a first angiography assessment to obtain a first angiographic signal for a targeted epidermal tissue at a first time;   applying a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) treatment to the targeted epidermal tissue, the PEMF treatment comprising a pulse frequency of about 1000 Hertz (Hz) and a pulse width of about 42 microseconds (μs); and   performing a second angiography assessment to obtain a second angiographic signal for the targeted epidermal tissue at a second time following application of the PEMF treatment,   wherein the PEMF treatment produces an increase in the second angiographic signal compared to the first angiographic signal,   wherein the PEMF treatment is suitable to produce an increase in gene expression of one of a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene and a platelet-derived growth factor beta polypeptide (PDGFb) gene in a treated cell in an in vitro experiment.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising modulating, by administering the PEMF treatment, gene expression for at least one of a pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene, a pro-enkephalin (PENK) gene, and a prodynorphin (PDY) gene in at least one of a neuronal cell, an human epidermal keratinocyte (HEK) cell, a human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell, and an human monocyte cells (HM C) cell of the treatment site. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the PEMF treatment administered over a treatment period that decreases a pain score reported by the patient over the treatment period. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 measuring a first skin perfusion pressure of a targeted epidermal tissue prior to applying the PEW; and   measuring a second skin perfusion pressure of the targeted epidermal tissue at following applying the PEMF treatment, wherein the second measured skin perfusion pressure is greater than the first measured skin perfusion pressure.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein applying the PEMF treatment produces one of an increase in sympathetic skin response (SSR) waveform amplitude, a decrease in SSR time-to-onset, and an increase in nerve conduction velocity. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein applying the PEMF treatment comprises administering the PEMF treatment to a foot of the patient. 
     
     
         15 . A method of modulating angiogenesis in a patient in need thereof, the method comprising:
 measuring a first skin perfusion pressure of a targeted epidermal tissue at a first time; and   applying a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) treatment to the targeted epidermal tissue, the PEMF treatment comprising a pulse frequency of about 1000 Hertz (Hz) and a pulse width of about 42 microseconds (μs); and measuring a second skin perfusion pressure of the targeted epidermal tissue at a second time following application of the PEMF treatment,   wherein the PEMF treatment produces an increase in the second measured skin perfusion pressure compared to the first measured skin perfusion pressure,   wherein the PEMF treatment is suitable to produce an increase in gene expression of one of a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene and a platelet-derived growth factor beta polypeptide (PDGFb) gene in a treated cell in an in vitro experiment.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 performing a first angiography assessment to obtain a first angiographic signal for a targeted epidermal tissue prior to administering the PEMF treatment; and   performing a second angiography assessment to obtain a second angiographic signal for the targeted epidermal tissue following administering the PEMF treatment, wherein the second angiographic signal is greater than the first angiographic signal.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising modulating, by applying the PEMF treatment, gene expression for at least one of a pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene, a pro-enkephalin (PENK) gene, and a prodynorphin (PDY) gene in at least one of a neuronal cell, an human epidermal keratinocyte (HEK) cell, a human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell, and an human monocyte cells (HM C) cell of the treatment site. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein applying the PEMF treatment produces one of an increase in sympathetic skin response (SSR) waveform amplitude, a decrease in SSR time-to-onset, and an increase in nerve conduction velocity. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein applying the PEMF treatment comprises administering the PEMF treatment to a foot of the patient. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein applying the PEMF treatment modulates nerve function.