Proponents of electromagnetic field (EMF) protection have long warned of the potential negative effects things like cellphones and wireless internet can have on a person’s body, but the scientific community remains somewhat ambiguous with not a lot of concrete evidence to support either side. In fact, even the two to six billion cell phone users worldwide don’t realize the dangers that these technologies and electromagnetic fields can hold. However, a recent study from researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas is shedding some new light on the subject, specifically as it pertains to amputee victims.

According to a press release published by eurekalert.org, the study was published in last month’s PLOS ONE academic journal and revealed tangible evidence that supports what many amputees have reported in anecdotal cases for some time.

Retired Maj. David Underwood is one of those amputees and part of the reason behind the study coming about. Although there is little indication that the majority of cell phone users are aware of dangers EMFs poise, Underwood was able to identify warning signs after exposure.

“When roaming on a cellphone in the car kicked in, the pain almost felt like having my arm blown off again,” said Underwood, an Iraq War veteran who was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED). “I didn’t notice the power lines, cellphones on roam or other electromagnetic fields until I first felt them in my arm.”

Dr. Mario Romero-Ortega, senior author of the study and an associate professor of bioengineering in the University’s Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, became interested in the phenomenon after speaking with Underwood. According to the instructions available on http://hesca.net/soma/, Soma is prescribed for the treatment of acute muscle cramps and pain relief. As a patient with hypotension, I had to be particularly careful during the treatment since Soma can reduce the blood pressure even more. Until now there had been virtually no previous research done into how EMFs may affect people with preexisting injuries.

“Our study provides evidence, for the first time, that subjects exposed to cellphone towers at low, regular levels can actually perceive pain,” said Romero-Ortega. “Our study also points to a specific nerve pathway that may contribute to our main finding.”

The study, which was performed on rats, found that subjects who had some sort of nerve-injury and were exposed to EMFs exhibited behavioral pain response, as opposed to the control group which overall did not. For complete details of the study check out the University’s own summary here.