What Is Bioresonance? Does It Have a Role in Cancer Treatment?

What Is Bioresonance?

Bioresonance claims to diagnose disease by detecting disturbed electrical balance and cure it by restoring that balance. Proposed in 1977 by German doctor Franz MOrell and engineer Erich RAsche, it is also called MORA therapy. It claims diseased tissue emits electromagnetic waves different from normal tissue and electronic devices detect these differences to diagnose disease, termed electrodermal testing. Reversing and delivering these frequencies allegedly corrects abnormal tissue or cells and cures disease, so it is also presented as treatment. Even in healthy people, delivering normal-tissue frequencies without inversion is claimed to strengthen organs and prevent illness.

How Is It Applied, and for Which Conditions?

In the common application:

History-taking and a simple examination are followed by an allegedly special blood test searching frequency codes of allergens, microorganisms and cancer cells. Electrodes connected to an electronic device are placed on the body. After sessions, a chip said to carry healthy frequencies is attached to maintain the effect.

It is claimed effective for all health problems, particularly allergies, asthma, atopic dermatitis (eczema), rheumatic disease, psychological problems and cancer. In cancer, it allegedly increases chemotherapy and radiotherapy efficacy and reduces adverse effects. Smoking cessation is another major use.

What Is Its Mechanism?

None of these effects has a scientific basis. Abnormal tissues emitting different electromagnetic waves has never been proven; moreover, devices have been shown unable to distinguish and measure such waves even if they existed.

Cancer effects are attributed to tumor suppressor P53. Mutation in p53, crucial to preventing tumors, is central in many cancers. Bioresonance allegedly reactivates this suppressed gene to kill cancer cells naturally. P53’s role has long been known, so p53 gene activation has become a common argument of alternative medicine charlatans. Many ineffective products are marketed as activating p53; bioresonance is one. No evidence shows it activates p53, nor is there a scientific explanation of how the devices could do so. Medical terminology exploits limited public knowledge to persuade people.

What Do Studies of Bioresonance Show?

Leading institutions do not recognize it as alternative or complementary medicine, instead classifying it as “pseudoscience.” Pseudoscienceis a body of beliefs, knowledge and practices presented with scientific arguments but lacking scientific foundations or research support.

An American Cancer Society review found no positive effects in cancer patients and warned against seeking treatment through it. FDA also sued companies marketing such electronic devices with false health claims.

A Lancet article describes research groups of doctors and technicians testing these devices in the early 1990s, concluding they are simple devices containing small processors and cannot diagnose or treat health problems.

A review published in 2003 evaluated bioresonance tests, also called electrodermal tests, in allergic diseases. It demonstrated that electrodermal testing is not a suitable method for identifying allergens. Another study published in 2010 reached similar conclusions. In a further study, electrodermal tests were given to 15 people with skin-test-confirmed allergy to allergens such as house dust mites or cat hair and to 15 people confirmed not allergic to these agents. Researchers assessed the method’s ability to identify environmental allergies and found that bioresonance could not detect them.

A study of 32 children with atopic dermatitis found no improvement in skin complaints, sleep or blood allergy markers. Another involving adults with hay fever found no diagnostic or therapeutic effect. Mayo Clinic also states evidence for efficacy in atopic dermatitis is insufficient.

A major bioresonance application is smoking cessation. There is no scientific basis for efficacy here either. Those reporting quitting through it are actually helped by the placebo effect: believing the method works increases psychological inclination to quit. Their belief, not bioresonance, enables cessation.

A few positive studies exist but have serious methodological flaws and did not appear in reliable journals. In 2013, a study reported electrodermal tests identified suicidal tendencies in depression, but later its calculations were shown erroneous and the study misleading.

Is Bioresonance Safe?

Practitioners chiefly claim no adverse effects, pain or medicines, suggesting use even in children and pregnant people. As stated, the electronic device and chip have no demonstrated effects. Naturally, an ineffective method having no adverse effects is entirely unsurprising. Yet it can cause serious consequences by preventing proper treatment, and unnecessary spending causes financial harm. Calling it completely harmless and safe is therefore incorrect.

What Should Be Done?

Literature gives bioresonance little attention; many respected journals and institutions do not even evaluate it. Practitioners’ claims lack not only science but logic. Organizations commenting on it clearly do not recommend it. Its potential to displace effective care and financial burden make claims of harmlessness difficult. Some complementary methods have demonstrated benefits and should be properly integrated with modern medicine, but bioresonance is not one. It is clearly based on deception and placebo effects. Stay entirely away from it and do not trust those using medical rhetoric to persuade you.