Medical applications of radio frequency

Medical applications of radio frequency (RF) energy, in the form of electromagnetic waves (radio waves) or electrical currents, have existed for over 125 years. These applications now include treatments like hyperthermy for cancer, electrosurgery scalpels used during operations, and radiofrequency ablation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) also uses radio frequency waves to create images of the human body.

Radio frequencies at lower energy levels are often used in beauty treatments. These can help tighten skin, reduce fat through lipolysis and apoptosis, or support healing processes.

RF diathermy is a treatment that uses heat from RF energy as a form of physical therapy. It helps relax muscles and can warm deeper tissues in the body. In surgeries, the intense heat from diathermy can destroy unwanted growths, remove damaged tissue, and close blood vessels to prevent bleeding. This method is especially useful in neurosurgery and eye surgeries. Diathermy equipment usually works with short-wave radio frequencies or microwave energy.

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) is another treatment that may help heal bone tissue, according to a recent study by NASA. This therapy uses electromagnetic radiation of various frequencies, including radio frequencies, given in short bursts.

History

In the late 1800s, two scientists, a French doctor named Jacques Arsene d'Arsonval and an engineer from Serbia and America named Nikola Tesla, discovered that special electricity could help heal the body. They found that certain types of electricity could warm the body without causing harm.

By around 1900, doctors began testing this electricity to treat many different health problems. In the 1920s, new machines allowed them to use even higher frequencies, which were safer and caused fewer burns. Later, they found that this kind of electricity could also help cut and close wounds during surgeries, a tool still used today.