METHOD FOR HYDROMAGNETOTHERAPY (VARIANTS)

AND DEVICE FOR REALIZING THE METHOD

This invention relates to the field of medicine, in particular, to the therapy

of various diseases and anomalies both in the human and other living organisms.

The invention may be also used for treating and prophylaxis of various diseases

and disorders.

Methods and apparatuses for using hydrotherapy, inclusive of in

combination with other therapeutic means are known in the art.

The method and device for treating diseases by combining

thermohydro therapy and phytoaeroionization are known from RU 99117644,

A61H 33/06, A61H 23/00. This method combines thermohydrotherapy and

phytoaeroionization, aerosolic therapy and irradiation of an aerosol flow with

laser light. This method and device involve preheating of a patient with steam

and/or hot air before the aerosolic therapy procedure followed by a hot shower,

and the phytoaeroionization process is conducted at a temperature of 15-20 ⁰ C

accompanied by a vibratory massage. The device comprises an aerosol source,

an ultrasonic generator and is characterized in that the aerosol source is fixed to

a hollow body in a form of a bath, which is provided with a mesh-like bed with a

vibrator, a heat and steam convector is secured in the lower part of the body, the

body is provided with a line for supplying water in the form of a Charcot's

douche and also with an opening to which a cooling and heating convector is

connected.

The above methods, however, are low-efficient because they do not

produce any direct effect on the biochemical and metabolic processes in cells,

specifically in internal parts of the human body and muscle tissues, and, hence,

they may be used mainly as preventive methods.

A device for integrated water or water solution treatment intended for

hydrotherapy is known in the art. The device comprises a body provided with

water inlet and discharge manifolds. The water inlet manifold is coaxially

connected with a transparent tube provided with a light-reflecting coating and

disposed within toroidal magnets. A laser waveguide is mounted coaxially

opposite the tube end and a heating element enclosed in a casing and coupled to

a relay disposed outside the body is mounted within the body. The device

provides an integrated water treatment according to the set algorithm.

This device, however, produces effect only on water, while internal parts

of the body and tissues remain unaffected.

It is preferable to select as the closest prior art the magnetotherapy

method involving disposal of an inductor close to an organ to be treated and

treatment of this organ with a pulsed magnetic field having specific frequency

and amplitude of the magnetic field pulses for a specific period of time.

According to this method, a body of the patient and/or the organ to be treated are

exposed to an acoustic action simultaneously with the magnetotherapy (EA

N ^o 000495, A61N 2/02).

According to this method, the organ to be treated is exposed by the

magnetic field pulse packets. The pulse packet-repetition frequency may be

matched with one of biological rhythms (for example, cardiac rate, alpha rate,

etc.) usually within the range of from 1 to 10 Hz. The pulse-repetition frequency

in a packet is usually selected at about 100 Hz and higher. This frequency may

be also matched with the resonance frequency of the magnetic permeability

response of organ tissues being treated. Usually, the fields with induction of 1-

50 mTl are used. In the method provided, it is preferable to use fields with

induction of 1-10 mTl as not causing physiological or reflex action, but having

only a stimulatory effect.

According to the disclosed invention, a simultaneous application of two

means, i.e. pulsed magnetic and acoustic, with the activated biochemical

processes in the organ tissues being treated and synchronizing acoustic

exposure, drastically increases efficiency of therapy and allows treating some

kinds of diseases, which are untreatable when each type of the actions was used

separately. In this case, both the whole body may be exposed to the acoustic

exposure through hearing and the organ to be treated may be exposed to it

directly. In addition, an effective value of the magnetic field may be

substantially reduced, thereby also reducing the probability of side effects

related to overdosing and conserving energy consumption during the therapy

course. In this case, if the whole body is exposed to the acoustic exposure, i.e.

through organs of hearing, a favorable effect on the central nervous system

produces an additional positive effect and reduces the time required for

rehabilitation of the organ functioning.

To efficiently treat some diseases and injuries, however, a combination of

the magnetic and acoustic exposures appears to be insufficient, hence, other

means such as hydrotherapy, massage, etc. need to be used to supplement them.

The aim of the preseet invention is to provide a method promoting the

improved therapeutic effect in treating various diseases without using a

substantial quantity of medicaments and resorting to surgical operation. The aim

of the invention is also to provide a specific device for realization of this

method.

According to this invention, the hydrotherapy and magnetotherapy

methods are used simultaneously and involve disposing an inductor close to a

human body, preferably in proximity to the organ to be treated, exposing this

organ to the pulsed magnetic field with specific magnetic field pulse frequency

and magnitude for a specific period of time.

It is preferable that the patient's body and/or organ to be treated were

exposed to an acoustic harmonic exposure simultaneously with the hydro and

magnetotherapy. The method is characterized in that a fluid medium is disposed

between the body and the inductor, and the magnetotherapy is performed in the

presence of the fluid medium.

It has been found that such a combination substantially enhances the

effects of different methods. It should be noted that the fluid medium, its

pressure and thermal action in the process of the magnetotherapy is useful for

cleaning cell membranes, dissolving and excreting decomposition products and

poisons from the intercellular spaces through the skin.

Further development of the invention consists in using a harmonic

sounding, in particular, musical sounding, as an acoustic exposure having a

stimulating effect on the functioning of the organ being treated. In this case, the

fluid medium provides a more efficient transmission of the acoustic exposure.

In accordance with the further development, the amplitude of the

magnetic field pulses is modulated by an acoustic signal. The pulse packet-

repetition frequency according to the further development is matched with the

musical sounding rhythm, while the pulse-repetition frequency in the packet is

matched with the harmonic acoustical spectrum.

Further, the organ being treated is exposed to vibration simultaneously

with the magnetic and acoustic exposure.

The vibration action frequency and/or pulse packet repetition frequency

are matched with the harmonic components of the acoustic exposure.

Medical solutions having stimulating and/or curing affect on the

functioning of the organ being treated may be used as a fluid medium.

It is most efficient to dispose the inductors along the body and close to the

organs being treated in the disclosed methods.

According to one of the embodiments of the invention, the magnetic field

may be either a magnetostatic field or may have a constant component.

The methods according to the invention are realized by using a device

comprising a controllable source of current pulses supplied to at least one

inductor. Said device is characterized in that it comprises a reservoir for the fluid

medium adapted for a human body, with the inductors being disposed on the

surface of the reservoir in the regions of contact with the human body.

According to this invention, the inductors are predominantly disposed in the

regions most closely fitting the main human organs. Further, this device is

characterized in that the inductors are mounted in the reservoir openings and are

provided with the hermetically sealed covers on the interior side of the reservoir.

In the device according to this invention, the inductor covers are made in the

form of electromagnetic membranes to produce an additional acoustic and

vibration action.

Realization of the methods and devices and embodiments are illustrated

in Figs. 1-4, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the integrated hydro and

magnetotherapy, with the magnets being disposed close to the human body

organs.

Fig. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the design of the bath and electronic

devices for the integrated hydro and magnetotherapy.

Fig. 3 illustrates an electric diagram of an embodiment of electronic and

electromechanical devices for the integrated hydro-, acousto- and

magnetotherapy and also for the hydromassage.

Fig. 4 shows images of a water drop obtained in the high-frequency fields

prior and after the effect produced by the method according to this invention.

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 is intended for preventing and

treating diseases of the locomotor system and cardiovascular diseases.

The bath body 1 is adapted for a convenient and relaxed position and

provided with hand supports and feet stops. The bath body may be made of acryl

or other material being permeable for magnetic fields. Magnetic inductors are

disposed on the exterior side of the bath in the regions of the closest contact of

the human body organs to be treated. Such inductors may include as follows: a

neck inductor 2; a lumbar inductor 3; a pelvic inductor 4; a carpal inductor 5; a

feet inductor 6; hip inductors 7; and knee inductors 8. It should be noted that

inductors 7 and 8 are not covered with a large body mass and may also serve for

the total water treatment in the bath.

Positioning the inductors in such manner helps efficiently use them for

treating and preventing diseases of the locomotor system, most important

internal parts of the body located in the lumbar part of the body such as a liver,

kidneys and a spleen. The total exposure also efficiently effects the cardio¬

vascular system by improving blood characteristics, reducing viscosity,

increasing vessel permeability, etc.

In addition, the presence of water both increases efficiency of the effect

by cleansing the skin surface, pores, intercellular spaces and by dissolving salts

and other substances, and it also may produce a thermal effect due to the thermal

exposure.

Medicinal and aromatic preparations may be also added to water.

The other embodiment of disposal of the inductors illustrated in Fig. 2

allows a dynamic action and a combined action to be applied.

Inductors 11 in the bath 10 are distributed in the region where the larger

mass of the human body is located and are connected to a current pulse

generator 12 through a modulating and controlling device 13.

The generator 12 generates current pulse packets with the pulse-repetition

frequency in the range of 1-10 Hz and the pulse repetition frequency in the

packet of about 100 Hz, with amplitude being sufficient to produce the magnetic

field within the range of 10-50 mTl, preferably, 10 mTl. The modulating and

controlling device 13 distributes pulses across the inductors according to the

defined program and simultaneously may modulate their amplitude and other

parameters according to the harmonic or musical component selected from a

special signal or recording of any musical composition.

The electronic circuit diagram illustrated in Fig. 3 comprises inductors

distributed across the bath and connected to the software switching device 22 the

input of which is coupled to the current pulse generator 23 via a modulator 24. A

modulating harmonic or musical signal is fed to the modulator control input

from a playback device 25.

To simultaneously provide a mechanical and vibration action, magnetic

membranes 26, which efficiently transmit acoustic and mechanical action to the

fluid and human body are disposed over the inductors 21 on the interior side of

the bath. The membranes are directly vibrated by the modulated magnetic field

in synchronized manner therewith, thereby enhancing the effect, while the fluid

medium serves as an efficient sound conveying medium.

The studies have demonstrated that an effective fluid structure changes

when it is exposed to the magnetic field modulated in that manner. Fig. 4

illustrates an image of a water drop in high-frequency fields prior a) and after b)

treatment with magnetic field pulses using the INTERSPOK™ device according

to the invention. Surprisingly, but such a structure remained unchanged for 4

days, i.e. the medical effect in liquid structures of the human body continues for

a lengthy period of time even after the procedures were completed according to

the invention.

Clinical trials have demonstrated high efficiency of the method used and

no complications have been detected.

Therefore, the proposed invention represents an integrated and effective

hydromagnetotherapy realized by using the device of the invention and allowing

medical results to be obtained without using the above means separately and

resorting to surgical or biochemical operation, although accompanying

medicaments may also be used subject to the physician's prescription. The

proposed invention may also be used for medical and preventive purposes in

clinical and domestic conditions. Taking into consideration the fact that

magnetic pulses are generated by current pulses in the inductors and may be

low-voltage pulses, the proposed invention is safe for use in combination with

the hydrotherapy.