Robert O. Becker, M.D.

Veterans Administration Electromagnetic Forces and

Hospital
Syracuse, New York Life Processes

The concept that electromagnetic gers in premature acceptance of The discussion which follows re-
forces might have any effect upon electromagnetic forces as a thera- lates only to the effects of continuous
living organisms-other than the peutic modality suitable for human or pulsed direct current. Evidences
thermal effect due to Joule heating- use. for non-thermal effects of radiofre-
was for many years rejected by the My own work began with the quency energy can be explained on
organized biomedical community. premise, derived primarily from the basis of its rectification into some
But under the weight of experimen- Albert Szent-Cyorgyi's theories, that form of direct current within the
tal evidence this attitude is chang- cells and other biological com- organism, with the subsequent ef-
ing; indeed, the medical community ponents might have various elec- fects then being by the mechanisms
is now expressing considerable in- tronic solid-state physical properties to be discussed.
terest in the possible therapeutic ef- such as semiconduction. We have Several of the effects of electro-
fects of direct application of small asked two basic questions: magnetic energy to be discussed are
amounts of electrical energy. Within o Are there control systems in liv- of considerable interest in the clini-
the past year reports of clinically ing organisms based upon electronic cal practice of medicine, and we are
useful effects have appeared in the conduction mechanisms that regu- currently witnessing several initial
scientific and the popular press. late important life processes? clinical applications:
Thus the arguments over the elec- o If such control systems exist, may o To promote healing of bone frac-
trical nature of life processes, which they be perturbed in a clinically use- tures and bone conditions involving
extend back at least to the work of ful fashion by the application of ap- inadequate growth.
Luigi Galvani, the Italian physician propriate levels of externally gen- o To promote rapid healing of
who wrote on "animal electricity" in erated electromagnetic energy? skin ulcers and burns.
1791, are reaching a new and very Both questions have now been an- o To produce general anesthesis
promising resolution. swered in the affirmative, and it may ( electronarcosis) .
My own laboratory began working truly be said that we are on the o To produce sleep (electrosleep).
in this area in 1958, and the response threshold of a new era in medicine o As an adjuvant to acupuncture
to our reports has changed from in which bioelectronics offers the ( electroacupuncture ), for producing
complete rejection just over a clinician control over basic life proc- regional anesthesia and to stimulate
decade ago through amused dis- esses which even a decade ago healing.
belief to-at present-enthusiastic could not have been anticipated. The first two of these are achieved
acceptance. I believe the field has Already it is established that elec- by application of direct currents of
now reached a stage of understand- tromagnetic forces can be used to 1 to 3 mp.amp. to the organ affected,
ing where it is important to assess change three fundamental life proc- the third and fourth by application
the present stage of knowledge, the esses in mammals-and probably in of unmodulated or modulated (to
implications of that knowledge, man: 700 Hz.) direct currents of 1 to 5
and-especially-the pOSSible dan- o Stimulation of bone growth. mamp., the fifth by using pulsed di-
Dr. Robert O. Becker received his medi-
o Stimulation of partial multi-tissue rect currents (variable frequency to
regenerative growth. 100 Hz.) of no more than 1 mamp.
cal training at New York University (M.D.,
1948) and joined the Veterans Adminis- o Influence on the basic level of I have little doubt that a number of
tration Hospital at Syracuse in 1957 as nerve activity and function. these will prove to be exceedingly
Chief of the Orthopedic Section. He has All of these effects appear to be useful and ·that enthusiastic ac-
recently given up administrative responsi- mediated through perturbations in ceptance will follow. But one must
bilities as Associate Chief of Staff for naturally pre-existing electronic con- understand that, despite its preten-
Research to devote full time to develop-
ing the work reported in this article, a trol systems. All are produced by tions to the contrary, medicine is
field in which he has published exten- low levels of direct current (con- not a science but an art founded in
sively; but he continues to serve as Re- tinuous or pulsed) administered di- empiricism-a random search for
search Professor of Orthopedic Surgery rectly to the organism. At this time tools that produce a desired effect
at the Upstate Medical Center of the on the patient. The history of medi-
State University of New York. This paper
there appears to be a power-density
is the substance of a report by Dr. Becker relationship centered at an ex- cine reveals enthusiastic acceptance
at the 1972 convention of the I.E.E.E. tremely low power level. of almost all treatment. modalities

32 Technology Review, December, 1972

New research has made clear the role of minute electrical
currents and voltages in controlling the development of animal
structures and the healing of wounds. Detailed understanding
of the life systems involved may be the next great advance in
biomedical science.

I believe that the situation is

serious, and I urge that, as a first
Anatomical unit Functional unit step, a working union should be or-
(two phase system) ganized between clinicians, bio-
medical workers, electronic engi-
• neers, electrochemists, and solid-
Collagen
Matrix state physicists to help achieve un-

-
Fibrous protein

~- ~

~
~ piezoelectric derstanding of the uses and dangers
of application of low-level electro-
magnetic forces. I doubt if such a
Apatite basic question as how such forces
Cells 1t Fibers Mineral crystals influence biological systems can be
answered without the multidis-
perloste~ ciplinary approach I propose.

x100 x100,OOO The "Current of Injwy"

The work in my laboratory in in-
vestigating this field has been chiefly
on the role of small electromagnetic
forces in cellular growth and regen-
eration. We began by studying what
is called the "current of injury"-an
The author's (and others') studies reveal the total bone materIal. Collagen, the electrical potential which always ap-
that bone does in fact display solid- associated fibrous protein in the bone
state electrical properties, and that cell matrix, is piezoelectric; it and pears at a site of injury in a living
these properties are associated w1th apatite, the mineral crystals associated organism. We measured this "cur-
living bone cells-a small percentage of with collagen, are both semiconductors. rent of injury" in two closely related
animal species, one of which could
regenerate a limb and one of which
could not. (Most readers will be
that are effective without any con- techniques: aware that certain animals-sala-
sideration of the method of working D Unrecognized deleterious side manders, for example-ean regrow
and little consideration of possible effects-such as malignant trans- an amputated limb; this occurs by a
deleterious side effects. Though ex- formation of cells-may exist, and particular growth process charac-
tensive controls now surround the may not become evident until sev- terized by the appearance of a mass
introduction of new drugs, there are eral years have passed. of primitive cells, forming them-
few regulations concerning medi- D Applications involving the central selves gradually into a complete
cal devices of the nature of nervous system may induce be- multi-tissue extremity appropriately
those which deliver electromagnetic havioral or cognitive disorders of a organized. ) We found very specific
forces. Present evidence indicates basic nature-again, perhaps not differences in the "current of injury"
that such forces have profound ef- evident for some years. which were postulated to be related
fects through the perturbations they D In the desire for immediate to the two different processes in-
induce in the naturally occurring clinical rewards, extremely important volved in regeneration and nome-
electronic control systems within applications may be overlooked. generative healing.
living organisms, and indeed that in D Acceptance of this technique as Professor Marcus Singer had pre-
this work we are gaining access to clinically useful may-without viously reported on a direct rela-
biological control systems of a very proper regulation-bring forth tionship between the extent of in-
basic nature. Several very real hordes of charlatans and quacks pur- nervation to a limb-its integration
dangers are inherent in the prema- veying ineffective but costly "treat- into the nervous system-and the
ture widespread clinical use of these ment devices." a~ility of the animal to regenerate

Technology Review, December, 1972 33

that appendage after amputation.
We therefore next investigated the Magnitude".. extent deformation
Mechanical
relationship of the nervous system to Polarity ".. direct deformation
stress
this phenomenon, and we found that
nerves (or their closely related sup-
porting tissues) generated longitu-
• o
t •
dinal electrical potentials which ap- + On Off
, , I

Seconds
I ..

Stress
peared to have their origin in semi-
conducting properties of some ele- Rectification-net energy
transfer and unambiguous signal
ment of the nerve itself. After sev-
eral years of studying this phe-
nomenon, we developed the thesis
that this property was organized into With the knOWledge of the bone's semi· signals are obtained from Intact bone
conductor capabilities, the author and when subjected to bending stress;
a primitive data transmission and his associates theorized a control system the magnitude of the signals is propor-
control system that dealt with such which governed the observed growth tional to the extent of the deformation,
modalities as the receipt of pain sen- of bone in response to mechanical and the polarity time-constant is very
sations (indicative of an injury) and stress. Laboratory studies then confirmed short-a matter of seconds.
the control of subsequent repair the existence of this system; electrical
processes (to insure that they were
appropriate and adequate).
The neural electronic system also
seemed to be related to levels of
consciousness and biological cycles,
- ~
piezoelectric
PH funCtiOn
- DCaIgnat
eqQivaient
to..,...
and we have developed the thesis
that this system furnishes the linkage
f
mechanism between electromagnetic
forces in the environment and bio-
logical cyclic behavior. Thus we
may for the first time have a basis
Differential
bone growth - 0IfferenlIaI
... stlltlUlatioft
01....
•

for understanding such interesting,

generally accepted phenomena as
This simple block diagram illustrates author confirmed this hypothesis
these:
o Reversals of earth's magnetic
the control system which regulates the
growth of bone in response to mechan-
by finding differential bone growth
resulting from appropriate electrical
field are related to the extinctions of ical stress (short of failure) in all marn- signals introduced into nonstressed areas
various animal species. mats, as postulated by the author. The of bone.
o Cyclic patterns in the earth's field
are related, perhaps causally, to ficulties in adapting to nerve tissue ability to anatomically restructure it-
biological cycles. the type of solid-state physical self to best resist the mechanical
o Disturbances in the earth's field analysis that we wished to apply in stresses applied to it-an ideal in-
(magnetic storms, etc.) are statis- order to establish the effects of elec- put-output system. Another growth
tically related to behavior distur- tromagnetic forces. So we then phenomenon of interest is fracture
bances in the human population. turned to a study of bone from this healing-the only true regenerative
o There is a direct link between point of view. This was a fortuitous growth process still available to the
the earth's magnetic field and the choice, since-though bone has no mammal.
migratory and homing activity of nerve supply-it still evidences sev- A portion of the bone matrix, the
animals and birds. eral types of clearly identifiable collagen fiber, had already been
growth response which could be sub- shown by Professor Eiichi Fukada
Fracture Healing ject to control systems analysis. One to have piezoelectric properties; we
We encountered considerable dif- such growth process in bone is its extended this study and were able

34 Technology Review, December, 1972

Disturbances in the earth's electromagnetic field are statistically
related to behavior disturbances in the human population

It should now be emphasized that

both of these control systems are
Stress to failure Fracture essentially self-contained; they fit the
(fracture) category of self-organizing systems,
~
• and they are in fact relatively simple
closed-loop, negative feedback sys-
~fT=::J
Ol- ......
-------~,....
tems.
++ - +L..- __ --L__ ---I'--_ Toward Human Regeneration
Voltage 1 2 The distinction between bone re-
Hours sponse to stress and to fracture lies
in cellular changes which seem to
be of great importance. In the case
of fracture repair, we found that
certain cells under appropriate elec-
trical stimulation (direct current in
p.p.amp.ranges) would undergo re-
version to a more primitive cell type
Non-uniform electric field Current (I = :) = 1m~/sq.cm. ( dedifferentiated), and that this
primitive material was subsequently
redifferentiated into those cell types
needed for the particular tissue re-
Mechanical stress to failure-the frac- and in damaged nerves in the ex- pair process required. We were able
ture of bone--Ieads to electrical activity tremity. The result is basically an op-
posed dipole which persists for several to study some of the electrical pa-
of a kind very different from that involved
in the gradual response to mechanical hours. in contrast to the signals rameters of importance; the most
stress. In the former case, the stimulus from stressed but undamaged bone with outstanding was that the effective
stems from an interaction of electrical time-constants in the range only of levels of voltage and current had
potentials in the damaged bone matrix seconds. both upper and lower limits. In
other words, voltages or currents
to demonstrate that the collagen growth ensued. We have made many above an upper limit were nonpro-
molecule, in addition to being piezo- studies of the solid-state properties ductive of cellular changes until cur-
electric, was an N-type semiconduc- of bone and have reported a con- rent densities became high enough
tor, while the mineral crystals closely siderable amount of interesting data to produce heating effects.
applied to the collagen were P-type to support this view of how bone The fracture healing process is
semiconductors. (These two semi- growth responds to physical stress. an example of regenerative-type
conductors differ in the following The healing of bone fractures is a growth; new bone tissue is re-
way: current will flow from a P-type completely different ~owth process. grown, and no scar tissue is formed.
to an N-typematerial but not in the Our first effort was to seek an elec- Thus we were able to use the in-
reverse direction.) With this knowl- trical signal that resulted from stress- formation gathered in the frac-
edge, we could theorize a control ing-to-failure of bone material, and ture study to synthesize a theo-
system governing the growth of such a signal was indeed identified. retical control system regulating re-
bone in response to mechanical stress When applied in vitro to cells that generative growth in general. On
that utilized a rectified electrical sig- produce new bone, a similar elec- that basis we postulated several
nal produced by the bone matrix trical signal in fact induced changes points in the control system where
when stressed. Such signals were identical to those observed at the mammals, including man, might be
found, and when devices which fracture site. We were soon able to deficient and so unable to achieve
simulated such Signals were in- integrate these observations into a regenerative growth-except in the
serted into non-stressed areas of control system that regulated frac- limited case of bone fracture repair.
bone, appropriate differential bone ture healing. Correcting one or more of these

Technology Review, December, 1972 35

 theorized deficiencies might lead to
the capability for regenerative
growth in man. The clinical im-
portance of this concept lies not in
the possibility of achieving limb re-
growth for humans, but rather in
the possibilities it opens for the con-
trol of growth processes to achieve
more effective healing.
For example: a heart attack results
in the death of a portion of the
heart muscle; the normal healing
process is the production of scar
tissue across the area. Multiple sear Red blood Primitive Primitive Cartilage Bone
formation obviously results in di- cell cell cell mass
minished functional ability of the
heart as a pump. At the present time
Electrical effect Local effect
only three therapeutic methods seem dedifferentiation redifferentiation
to be available: grafting of addi-
tional blood vessels to the heart with
the intent of preventing additional
attacks, heart transplant, and-pos-
sibly-mechanical hearts of various Distinctive cellular events stemming from interest consist first of dedifferentiation
nerve/bone electrical potentials are asso- of red blood cells into primitive cells
types. NODe of these is particularly ciated with fracture healing in all verte- and cell masses, and then the redifferen-
efficient, most are experimental in brates other than mammals, and the tiation of the latter into cartilage and
nature, and one can reasonably pre- author proposes that they also occur in bone. The fracture healing process is
dict great difficulties in developing bone marrow cells in the fracture healing the only example of regenerative growth
these as effective, large-scale thera- process in mammals. The events of known in mammals.
peutic methods.
But we have found that some
animals capable of regrowing limbs tors at the injury site. Acting on that problem by inserting miniature car-
can also regrow portions of the heart hypothesis, my laboratory initially bon resistors of various values be-
muscle. The control mechanisms for undertook a study of limb regenera- tween the silver and platinum,
both these types of regenerative tion in the white rat. The theoretical encapsulating the entire devioe in
growth appear to be the same. If we current/voltage requirements were silicon.
could gain access to these control small enough so that we could con- Such devices inserted into the am-
systems in an effective fashion, we sider bimetallic electrogenic cou- putated forelimbs of 21.day-old
would be able to bring about the plings as a power source; similar de- white rats resulted, in a high per-
repair of damaged heart muscle by vices had been used by Professor centage of cases, in the regrowth of
growing new heart muscle instead Stephen Smith in 1967 to restore an organized, multi-tissue portion of
of scar. Similar applications can be some measure of limb regeneration the mission extremity. Bone carti-
envisioned in many other areas of in the frog, an amphibian capable of lage, bone marrow, muscle, nerve,
clinical medicine; probably the most limb regeneration when in the tad- and blood vessels all were regen-
fruitful for early application would pole stage but lacking this ability in erated. While a complete extremity
be in the bones and joints. adulthood. We investigated these de- was not formed in any case, -the
We theorize that one reason why vices and found that Smith's Simple, amount and organizational pattern
mammals cannot achieve many silver-platinum junctions produced of the units formed far exceeded
kinds of regenerative growth is the currents approximately five times any growth naturally seen or pre-
absence of adequate electrical fac- those required. We resolved this viously obtained by any technique.

36 Technology Review, December, 1972

Successful experimental regrowth of a cell population by
electrical energy application warrants a prediction of profound
clinical implications for humans

The importance of this observation

is two-fold. The growth pattern
makes it clear that the effect of the
electrical energy was to bring about
dedifferentiation of a cell population
Platinum and its subsequent regrowth and re-
electrodes differentiation, with the expression
of multiple genetic pathways (Le.,
the controlled reading-out and ap-
plication of the all-purpose struc-

---e-- Lucile Voltage

tural information that all cells
possess-the process which occurs
in its most complete form during the
development of an embryo). And
the results produced in response to
the level of current used (a total of
1 to 3 mJAamp.) were extensive
source enough to warrant the prediction
Top that similar-level currents could have
profound clinical implications for
Electrical field pattern
humans.
in saline solution with red blood cell

Unravelling the Control of Life

We therefore now believe that low-
level electrical currents and poten-
tials, produced either by direct in-
jection or by rectification and induc-
tion from a field, have the capability
of bringing about very major bio-
logical effects of a very basic nature.
The changes appear to be based
upon perturbations produced in pre-
existing biological electronic con-
Red Primitive Primitive trol systems which regulate very
blood cell cell basic life functions. They hold sig-
cell mass nificant promise for better under-
standing of life control systems and
~ 1 hour ~ 24 hours ~I for clinical application to certain
diseases.
But the present rapid proliferation
of techniques and devices utilizing
electrical currents and potentials in
This diagrammatic representation (top) Within an hour these cells have begun a the treatment of various clinical
shows the author's method of obtaining process of redifferentiation into more
primitive regenerative growth by simulat- primitive cells (below), and within 24 conditions seems to be unjustified
ing the levels of electrical currents and hours large numbers of such primitive and indeed alarming; and I am par-
fields which he found to in fact prevail at cells are available. Then can begin the ticularly concerned that the very
the site of a bone fracture in a laboratory process of their redifferentiation into real dangers appear not to have been
mouse. Direct currents in amp. ranges the various cell types required for the
considered very thoroughly by any
are used to create an electrical field in a . tissue repai rs.
saline solution containing red blood cells.
of the groups occupied with clinical

Technology Review, December, 1972 37

applications.
I also feel concern for a much
broader problem, which is the con- 1. Voltage/currents limits
tinuous exposure of the entire North
American population to an electro- Direct __ Inverse
magnetic environment in which is

I
relationship relationship
present the possibility of inducing 100
Per cent of
currents or voltages comparable with electrical Cell
those now known to exist in bio- efficiency of dedifferentiation
logical control systems. producing cellular changes Cell
change degeneration
I am not suggesting that all clinical
investigation of this modality be
terminated; however, I do believe
I---~= = ~ I
__'~l _4 j 10
that it should be subject to the same Current, milA -
types of controls imposed on the use
2. Non-uniform field> Uniform field
of experimental drugs. Nor am I
suggesting that all use of radio-fre- 3. DC > AC (essentially no response above 1.0 cps)
quency radiation be terminated;
however, the application of energy
in new spectral regions or increases
in current field densities in metro-
politan areas should be carefully
Can the process of regenerative growth that question; already It Is clear, he
evaluated. which occurs in mammals when bone writes, that currents of 1 to 3 mil amp.
What I feel is urgently required is fractures are repaired be extended to yield results "extensive enough to
multidisciplinary research on the en- other lesions? Research is in progress warrant the prediction (of) ..• profound
tire problem of electromagnetic en- in the author's laboratory to answer clinical implications for humans."
ergy and biological systems, cover-
ing all areas-the direct injection of
electrical current into living systems,
their exposure to radio-frequency
fields, and pre-existing basic biologi-
cal electronic control systems. My
conviction is that this field holds
promise of containing the next great
advance in biomedical science.

Suggested Readings
Becker, R. 0., and D. G. Murray, "The
Electric Control System Regulating Frac-
ture Healing in Amphibians," Clinical
Orthopedics and Related Research, Vol.
73, pp. 169-98, 1970.

Frost, Harold M. (ed.), Bone Biodqnamics.

Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1964.

Szent-Gyorgyi, Albert, Introduction to a

Submolecular Biology. New York: Aca-
demic Press, 1960.

38 Technology Review, December, 1972