Effect of Bio-Electro-Magnetic-Energy-Regulation (BEMER) Horse Therapy on Cardiopulmonary Function and Recovery Quality After Isoflurane Anesthesia in 100 Horses Subjected to Pars-Plana Vitrectomy: An Investigator-Blinded Clinical Study.
Abstract: The use of Bio-Electro-Magnetic-Energy-Regulation (BEMER) therapy during general anesthesia has not previously been reported in horses. This randomized, investigator-blinded, placebo-controlled trial evaluates equine cardiopulmonary function and recovery quality after BEMER therapy application for 15 min in 100 horses during general anesthesia using isoflurane for pars-plana vitrectomy surgery as treatment for recurrent uveitis. Visually identical blankets were used in the two groups (1:1 ratio), one with a functional BEMER module and the other with a placebo module. Arterial blood pressure, blood gas, lactate, and creatine kinase (CK) values were measured at different timepoints, and each timepoint was compared between the groups using paired t-tests. The quality of recovery from anesthesia was assessed by one blinded veterinary surgeon using a 10-category scoring system with scores ranging from 10 (best) to 72 (worst) and compared by an ordinary least squares regression analysis. The placebo group had a significantly better recovery (mean 16.1, standard deviation 7.15) than the BEMER-therapy group (mean 22.4, SD 13.0). Arterial blood pressure and blood lactate were lower in the BEMER-therapy group without reaching statistical significance, while CK and blood gas values were comparable. BEMER-horse therapy showed an effect on the recovery quality of horses undergoing general anesthesia.
Publication Date: 2024-12-18 PubMed ID: 39765558PubMed Central: PMC11672451DOI: 10.3390/ani14243654Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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Effect of Bio-Electro-Magnetic-Energy-Regulation (BEMER) horse therapy on heart and lung function and recovery quality after anesthesia was studied in horses undergoing eye surgery.
Study Background and Objective
- This study investigated the impact of BEMER therapy, a bio-electro-magnetic energy treatment, during general anesthesia in horses.
- The focus was on cardiopulmonary function and recovery quality after anesthesia with isoflurane for pars-plana vitrectomy, a surgery to treat recurrent uveitis in horses.
- No prior research had examined BEMER therapy use in anesthetized horses.
Study Design
- This was a randomized, investigator-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 100 horses.
- Horses were randomly assigned to two equal groups (1:1 ratio): one group received 15 minutes of BEMER therapy during anesthesia, and the other group received a placebo treatment with a visually identical blanket without active BEMER therapy.
- The surgeon assessing recovery was blinded to group assignment to prevent bias.
Measurements and Data Collection
- Key parameters measured at different time points during and after anesthesia included:
- Arterial blood pressure
- Blood gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide levels)
- Blood lactate levels (indicator of tissue oxygenation and metabolic stress)
- Creatine kinase (CK) levels (indicator of muscle damage)
- A recovery quality score was recorded post-anesthesia using a detailed 10-category scale, ranging from 10 (best recovery) to 72 (worst recovery).
- Statistical analysis was performed using paired t-tests for physiological parameters and ordinary least squares regression for recovery scores.
Results
- The placebo group showed significantly better recovery scores than the BEMER therapy group:
- Placebo mean recovery score: 16.1 (SD 7.15)
- BEMER therapy mean recovery score: 22.4 (SD 13.0)
- Arterial blood pressure and blood lactate levels were lower in the BEMER group, but these differences did not reach statistical significance.
- CK and blood gas values were similar across both groups, indicating no significant muscle damage or changes in oxygen/carbon dioxide levels attributable to BEMER therapy.
Interpretation and Conclusions
- BEMER therapy applied during general anesthesia had a noticeable effect on recovery quality, but unexpectedly, horses in the placebo group recovered better than those receiving BEMER therapy.
- The therapy did not demonstrate significant benefits in key cardiopulmonary parameters (blood pressure, blood lactate, blood gases) or muscle damage markers compared to placebo.
- The findings suggest that BEMER therapy may influence recovery quality negatively or that further research is required to clarify its effects and mechanisms in anesthetized horses.
- Given no prior studies in this area, these results provide an initial evaluation but also call for caution in the clinical application of BEMER during equine anesthesia until more evidence is available.
Cite This Article
APA
Brandenberger O, Kalinovskiy A, Körner J, Genn H, Burger R, Leser S.
(2024).
Effect of Bio-Electro-Magnetic-Energy-Regulation (BEMER) Horse Therapy on Cardiopulmonary Function and Recovery Quality After Isoflurane Anesthesia in 100 Horses Subjected to Pars-Plana Vitrectomy: An Investigator-Blinded Clinical Study.
Animals (Basel), 14(24), 3654.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14243654 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Hanseklinik für Pferde, Karl-Benz-Straße 5-7, 27419 Sittensen, Germany.
- Hanseklinik für Pferde, Karl-Benz-Straße 5-7, 27419 Sittensen, Germany.
- Hanseklinik für Pferde, Karl-Benz-Straße 5-7, 27419 Sittensen, Germany.
- Pferdeklinik Mühlen, Münsterlandstraße 42, 49349 Steinfeld (Oldenburg), Germany.
- Medical Expert Center, BEMER Int. AG, Austrasse 15, 9495 Triesen, Liechtenstein.
- Hanseklinik für Pferde, Karl-Benz-Straße 5-7, 27419 Sittensen, Germany.
Grant Funding
- no grant number / Bemer (Liechtenstein)
Conflict of Interest Statement
Ralph Burger is a paid consultant of BEMER Int. AG, Liechtenstein. The authors state that there are no other conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article. Overall research funding played no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to submit the report for publication.
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