Soon, 'non-invasive' magnetic field therapy to help treat enlarged prostates

Researchers tried out a new non-invasive treatment in dogs with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

The method was very effective at reducing the size of the prostate gland and we expect that it is relevant for human use too.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related enlargement of the prostate gland. BPH is one of the most frequent medical problems in elderly males. In humans, it can result in urinary tract problems, obstruction of the urethra, sexual dysfunction and blood in the urine.

The new method used in the study to treat dogs with BPH was pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF). PEMF is a noninvasive method that generates both an electrical and magnetic field and is used in orthopedics, neurology, and urology.

It has been reported to have an anti-inflammatory effect and increases healing and blood circulation. The idea of using this method for BPH is to improve prostate blood flow and reduce the size of the prostate gland.

The study included 20 dogs with BPH. They received treatment with PEMF for 5 minutes, twice a day for three weeks. The device was simply held over the skin where the prostate is located. The study used a Magcell Vetri device from Physiomed Elektromedizin AG, Germany.

An average 57 per cent reduction in the size of the prostate resulted from PEMF treatment in only three weeks, a remarkable improvement. There was no interference with semen quality, testosterone levels or libido. Doppler parameters showed a reduction of peripheral blood resistances and a progressive reduction in resistance of the blood flow in the dorsal branch of the prostatic artery.

Decrease in prostate volume in 20 dogs treated with pulsed electromagnetic field therapy. T0=baseline, T1-T3=weeks 1-3 after treatment. Prostate volume was significantly lower than baseline at each week of treatment.

The study has been published in the journal The Prostate.