GENERAL INFO

What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is also called degenerative joint disease or “wear-and-tear” arthritis. Almost everyone is affected by it to some extent as they grow older. It most frequently occurs in weight-bearing joints, mainly knees, hips, and ankles. This form of arthritis slowly and gradually breaks down the cartilage that covers the ends of each bone in a joint. Normally, cartilage acts as a shock absorber, providing a smooth surface between the bones. But with osteoarthritis, the smooth surface becomes rough and pitted. In advanced stages, it may wear away completely. Without their normal gliding surfaces, the bones grind against one another, causing inflammation, pain and restricted movement. Bone spurs may form.

What Causes Osteoarthritis?

Primary osteoarthritis is mostly related to aging. With aging, the water content of the cartilage increases and its protein composition degenerates. Repetitive use of the joints over the years irritates and inflames the cartilage, causing joint pain and swelling. Eventually, cartilage begins to degenerate by chipping or forming tiny cracks. In advanced cases, there is a total loss of the cartilage cushion between the bones of the joints, which causes friction between the bones, leading to pain and restriction of joint mobility. Inflammation of the cartilage can also stimulate new bone outgrowths (spurs) to form around the joints. Osteoarthritis is sometimes found in several members of the same family, implying a heredity (genetic) basis for the disease.Secondary osteoarthritis is caused by another disease or condition. Conditions that can cause secondary osteoarthritis include abnormal joints at birth (congenital abnormalities), diabetes and other hormone disorders, gout, obesity, repeated trauma or surgery to the joint structures.

Do Occupational factors lead to Osteoarthritis?

Yes. Acute and chronic injuries are obvious risk factors for the development of OA. Major knee injuries, or muscle/ligament tear in sports such as soccer and football, high amount of jogging, occupations requiring frequent knee bending and lifting or carrying heavy loads contribute to the development of OA.

What are the other medical conditions that can cause Osteoarthritis?

Other causes of osteoarthritis include the following:

• Complications of persistent, inflammatory arthritic conditions, particularly chronic gout,pseudogout, or rheumatoid arthritis.
• Bleeding disorders such as hemophilia that cause bleeding to occur in the joint.
• Disorders such as avascular necrosis that block the blood supply near the joint.
• Complications of persistent, inflammatory arthritic conditions, particularly chronic gout,pseudogout, or rheumatoid arthritis.
• Conditions that cause iron build-up in the joints such as hemochromatosis.

What are the symptoms?

The number one symptom is pain. The pain is caused by irritation and pressure on nerve endings as well as muscle tension and fatigue. The pain can progress from mild soreness and aching with movement to severe pain, even when resting. The second symptom is loss of easy movement, such as bending or rising normally. Morning stiffness is a problem for many people. This lack of mobility, in turn, often causes the muscles serving the knee or hip to weaken, and overall body coordination suffers.

How is it diagnosed?

A simple, weight-bearing x-ray and examination by a skilled orthopedic doctor will determine if you have osteoarthritis. Time-consuming and costly diagnostic procedures are not required.

What is the treatment?

There is no cure for arthritis, but the past decade has seen dramatic new ways to manage the pain, lack of mobility, and fatigue that are among its most disabling symptoms.The most commonly used medications for osteoarthritis are:

• Analgesics
• Topical analgesics
• Counterirritants
• Salicylates
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Corticosteroid injections
• Hyaluronicacid therapy

However, another treatment which is widely gaining popularity is the Quantum Magnetic Resonance Therapy™.

Quantum Magnetic Resonance (QMR) Therapy™ is a non-surgical treatment that helps regenerate cartilage and restores mobility of arthritic knee joints. It is a painless and safe treatment. It has also proved to be extremely effective in the treatment of certain types of cancer.

Source: www.sbfhealthcare.com

New QMR therapy for cancer, arthritis patients

BANGALORE: Rohan Ganesh, 5, a brain tumour patient whose right side of the body was paralysed, was expected to die six months after the disease was diagnosed.

Surviving against doctors' prediction, he continued to live for more than four years and was cured of the paralysis.

The technology that rescued him was quantum magnetic resonance (QMR) therapy. It was innovated by Rtd Wing Commander V G Vasishta, founder and CEO of SBF Healthcare Pvt Ltd.

The therapy has been useful to several such terminally ill cancer and arthritis patients. More than 2,000 patients have been treated using the therapy in the last two years.

For terminally ill cancer patients, a new palliative treatment was unveiled on Saturday by Rtd wind commander Rakesh Sharma and police commissioner Shankar Bidari -- the equipment is called AKTIS and it's an improved version of the QMR machine.

"We've failed in all walks of life because we've neglected research. There is a need to encourage original research," Bidari said. Echoing his views, Rakesh Sharma added, "It's rare to find a successful innovation and it's sure to resonate across the globe."

As a principal investigator in clinical trials using QMR therapy for osteoarthritis at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Vasishta has been instrumental in designing and implementing this therapy.

Cancer trials were done at the institute from 2004 to 2006. During the trail, 60% patients exposed to QMR therapy showed increase in quality of life span.

At SBF, arthritis patients are offered 21 days treatment and cancer patients 28 days. "Exposure to QMR beams for an hour a day, going for 28 days, normalizes the cell membrane potential to its resting state. This prevents mitosis of cancer cells, and QMR beams counter angiogenesis, cutting down nutritional supply to the tumour tissue," Vasishta explained.

Based on results of the trials, AKTIS has been developed to provide palliative care to cancer patients. Also, the non-invasive technique is a better alternative to knee replacement for osteoarthritis patients.

With present options of treatment such as surgery and chemotherapy resulting in partial cure and side effects for cancer patients, QMR therapy has evolved as a safer option for terminally ill cancer patients.

How an eight-year-old boy vanquished cancer in brain

Sudipa Chakraborty / DNA Sunday, April 5, 2009 13:16 IST

Bangalore: It was about four years ago that eight-year-old Rohan Ganesh was "re-born". Afflicted with Brianstem Glioma (tumour in the upper base of the brain), the boy was in the last stage of cancer. After several visits to hospitals in Bangalore, Rohan's parents were lost in despair. "The child has just a few months to live," was all got from doctors. They were proved wrong. Four months later, Rohan got a fresh lease of life, thanks to Quantum Magnetic Resonance Therapy (QMR therapy), brainchild of Dr V G Vasistha, founder and CEO, SBF Healthcare.

The average middle-class family had knocked on the doors of NIMHANS and Manipal Hospital in Bangalore. "Take the child home. He has got a few months to live. He needs to be happy with his family," Rohan's parents C Mahadevappa and Chandrakala were told everywhere.

The couple did not lose hope and were willing to sell everything so they could get the best treatment for their son. At the end, they approached SBF Healthcare. By then, his right hand was paralysed; his right leg was weak. He used to vomit several times a day and suffered from acute headache.

"I was not sure about QMR Therapy in the beginning. But, we had no other option. So, we started treatment," Dr Vasistha told DNA.

It took more than 10 years of research and five years of trial for Wing Cdr (Dr) V G Vasishta to invent the therapy. "The child was too small. We could not give him radio therapy. Neither was chemotherapy possible. We had to rule out surgery because that would cause paralysis. It was a queer case," said Dr Vasistha.

Improvement began to show just 28 days after the therapy was started. "The headache had reduced to a great extent. We stopped the painkillers. He also started gaining strength in his right hand in a few months," the doctor said.

Four years later, Rohan Ganesh is back at school. "He is almost cured. He attends school now. The weakness is gone. In fact, he has become ambidextrous," the doctor said.
For the first year, the boy had to undergo therapy every month. For the next two years, it was reduced to once in three months. Now, he needs follow-up just once in six months.
So, how does it feel to give life to terminally-ill cancer patients? "I feel humble and blessed. I am glad that I can see the results of my research in my lifetime," he said.

Electromagnetic beams of hope SBF Healthcare Pvt Ltd launched a revolutionary new palliative treatment for terminally-ill cancer patients at their office in Marathahalli on Saturday. Known as Quantum Magnetic Resonance Therapy (QMR therapy), it is a byproduct of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Pioneered by Wg Cdr (Dr) V G Vasistha (retd), QMR therapy was unveiled after a study on 123 terminally-ill cancer patients. Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari and Wg Cdr Rakesh Sharma (retd) were present for the unveiling of the QMR machine called AKTIS meaning ray of hope in Greek.

QMR Therapy

QMR is a technology that is made to deliver highly complex quantum electromagnetic pattern in the radio and near-radio frequency spectrum, with precise command and control. The beams can be precisely controlled and focused on the cancerous tissues. By bringing the cell membrane potential from its negative to its normal potential, the cell reaches a resting state after which it stops dividing, thus causing programmed cell death of the tumour tissue and shrinkage of the tumour after a certain period of time.

How it works

Based on trial results and experience of QMR therapy, an improved form of the QMR machine called AKTIS has been developed to be used for providing palliative care to cancer patients. It is a computer-controlled device which generates quantum magnetic resonance beams to focus on the tumour.

QMR Therapy For Osteoarthritis Developed

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis or joint disease and is one of the primary causes of pain and disability in advancing years of life. Osteo arthritis usually affects people over the age of 50.Some degree of osteoarthritis will develop in everyone in old age and is estimated that three out of four persons who are more than 60 years of age will have definite evidence of osteoarthritis in at least one joint.

Some 15-30% who suffer from osteoarthritis over the age of 40 need medical attention. Knee replacement surgery was the only treatment available. It is a well known fact that surgery has its own side effects and also requires prolonged hospitalisation.

Quantum Magnetic Resonance Therapy (QMR TherapyTM) method is painless, safe, non-invasive and cost effective alternative method of treatment when compared to surgery.

What is this treatment?

QMR TherapyTM is the world"s first scientifically proven, non-surgical treatment to help regenerate cartilage and restore mobility of arthritic knee joints.

Safety of QMR Therapy

QMR TherapyTM is non-invasive, painless and safe. Clinical trials have been conducted on over 400 cases of osteoarthritis. The findings were published in the Journal of Aerospace Medicine. It involves the application of electromagnetic beams to regenerate tissues that wear and tear due to ageing. The beams can be precisely controlled and focused onto tissues therein generating streaming voltage potentials. This is lower than what is used in cell phones thereby making it safe for human use. The International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has defined emission levels that are considered safe for human use. Both electric and magnetic field emissions from QMR TherapyTM exposure are well below the levels specified by ICNIRP. These levels were certified by the LRDE, Electronics and Radar Development Establishment, a government of India body attached to the DRDO. (Defence Research and Development Organisation)


Clinical trials led by Wg. Cdr (Dr.) VG Vasishta began in 2004 at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, an Indian Air Force establishment. These clinical trials were approved by the Ethics Committee of the Institute under the aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research. Phase 1 and 2 trials on osteoarthritis ended in 2006. The study was conducted using the internationally accepted American Knee Society rating system Vasishta VG et al, Rotational Field Magnetic Resonance (RFQMR) in treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint, Indian Journal of Aerospace Medicine, 48 (2), 2004; 1-7

Benefits of QMR Therapy

• It is a pioneering, unique, effective and non-invasive procedure for treatment of Osteoarthritis.
• QMR TherapyTM for osteoarthritis significantly decreases pain.
• It has no side effects.
• It enables natural growth of cartilage and increases its thickness as against placement of foreign substance.
• It is a cheaper alternative to knee replacement.
• Both knees can be treated simultaneously in QMR TherapyTM.
• It increases mobility in patients.
• It improves stability and power of the knee joint.
• It is an outpatient treatment.
• Progress of the disease is halted.
• Patients can carry on their normal activity during the treatment.
• Does not have an effect on co-morbidities (associated medical problems).
• Patients can get rid of pain killer drugs.
• During the treatment, the patient can read or listen to music.

Wg. Cdr (Dr.) VG Vasishta (Retd), Founder & CEO of SBF Healthcare has been instrumental in conducting various studies that have led to changes in the medical standards of the Armed Forces. During his tenure as Head of the Radio Diagnosis department at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Bangalore, he was a recognized guide to many MD students. He has also been awarded numerous fellowships from international institutes. For excellence in medicine, he was awarded the 2006 Suvarna Karnataka Rajyotsava Award by the Government for his work on osteoarthritis and cancer. In 2006, SBF Healthcare was launched by Wg. Cdr Vasishta on his retirement from the Indian Air Force to bring this technology into the public sphere.

The promising results that have been received from this therapy have brought recognition for this technology not only from the scientific community, but also from the international medical and academic community. The preliminary results have been presented at international scientific symposia. The numbers and volume of patients that are looking up to this therapy as a beacon of hope is huge. This treatment therapy has already put India"s medical expertise on the international map.

The process

The treatment for Osteoarthritis is a 21-day process which does not require hospitalization. The total time required for treatment each day is 90 minutes.
SBF Healthcare now operates two centers in Bangalore and Mumbai. More than 2000 cases have now been treated by SBF Healthcare since inception.
This method has been a "pain reliever" to all those who have been suffering for years and confined to a wheel chair or limited activities and it has no doubt changed the quality of their lives.
For more information you could send an Email to: info@sbfhealthcare.com
Or visit the Web site: http://www.sbfhealthcare.com/