PEMF therapy is a buzz word across the web today.
Whether you have acne to a diabetic wound, you’ve likely seen that PEMF therapy is being used to effectively treat an array of medical conditions.
But, you’ve also likely discovered that PEMF therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all approach.
So, what PEMF is best for your unique situation?
This handy guide is designed to walk you through the PEMF frequency basics so you can match the most appropriate electromagnetic therapy to your chronic or acute condition.
Discover what PEMF entails.
Learn how electromagnetic therapy impacts your body and how frequency and wave type matter in PEMF therapy.
Then we apply the facts to see how PEMF could benefit you.
By the end, you’ll have all the data you need to make an informed decision on PEMF therapy.
PEMF 101
First things first.
You need to know what PEMF therapy entails.
Each area of the human body is composed of thousand upon thousand of individualized cells.
All cells have an electrical charge. All cells emit their own magnetic field.
Therefore, all cells are influenced by external pulses of energy.
PEMF targets your cells.
These are medical devices that use low frequency, low intensity electromagnetic fields to return various cells to their optimal function.
Such cells may be weak, diseased, malfunctioning, or otherwise off-kilter.
The therapy has been scientifically shown to help a very broad array of medical conditions and issues.
If you look back centuries ago, health specialists have long recognized the healing value and benefits of PEMF.
However, it wasn’t until the last few decades of technological innovation that electromagnetic therapy has been configured for at-home, personal usage.
Let’s take fractures as an example. PEMF is no stranger to expediting and enhancing fracture-related healing in the medical setting.
PEMF is of particular benefit with non-union and delayed union fracture healing.
In fact, this is one of PEMF’s first mainstream medical applications.
Claims of PEMF’s impact on fracture healing date back to the 1800s, but it would take over 100 years for researchers to actually verify the claims.
Today, such research has moved beyond the ‘bare bones.’
Thousands of studies have been devoted to looking at how PEMF in various frequencies, intensities, and waveforms is able to heal or sustain the human body on many pathology fronts.
How Does PEMF Work?
At an atomic level, all things have an electromagnetic field.
The objects are subject to changes in their magnetic field based upon both internal and external stimuli.
With PEMF, the electromagnetic pulses are passed through a metal coil, which then creates a magnetic field.
Magnetic fields created from charged electrical currents are called electromagnetic fields.
The pulses of energy are emitted in various intensities, frequencies, and wavelengths.
Keep in mind that each component (wavelength, intensity, and frequency) is designed for a specific purpose or affect.
PEMF’s Impact On The Body
The next question is how the electromagnetic field affects the body once it’s introduced.
Any charged object within the PEMF’s field of view can respond to the electrically charged pulses of stimuli.
In a nutshell, your body changes on a primitive, basic level when a magnetic field, such as PEMF, passes over it. How?
All cells within the body are designed to function in connection with their associated tissues, such as liver cells with liver tissue and cardiac cells with cardiac tissue.
Of course, cells aren’t just a part of organs.
Muscles, nerves, bones, skin, and so forth all have their own specialized cells.
A couple of dysfunctional cells aren’t usually noticed.
Cellular turnover is picked up by white blood cells that scavenge dead cells, and the specialized phagocytes can even reuse the dead cells remaining energy to create more cells.
However, when large groups of cells start to have issues, the associated tissue starts to show very negative results and may not be able to function properly or be more apt to disease or injury.
Mitochondria are organelles within the cell.
These are the powerhouses, or energy centers, within the cell.
All basic functions, including everything from repairs and cellular creation to waste elimination, relies upon the mitochondria.
Of course, mitochondria need nutrients and a healthy environment to function properly.
This is where electromagnetic fields become so imperative.
With exposure to the right PEMF, the nutrients, ions, and other must-have facets for cellular function are bolstered.
Membrane channels open to allow healthy nutrients to enter and cellular waste to exit.
Keep in mind that the above becomes less efficient when cells are dysfunctional, damaged, and/or aged.
PEMF exposure enables your mitochondria and other cellular parts to rebalance and perform their jobs effectively and efficiently.
The bottom line is that healthy bodies and tissues hinge upon healthy mitochondria.
Furthermore, PEMF is an energy enhancer due to it being on par with the frequencies your cells naturally resonate.
The closer the frequency match, the better the PEMF therapy is able to positively influence the cell.
Given the above, you can now see how important it is to focus PEMF therapy on the right areas and cells most in need of its influence.
This is true whether you’re looking at PEMF to improve your overall health or treat a specific pathology.
It also goes to show just how important it is to use the best PEMF configuration (frequency, wavelength, and intensity) for your specific goals.
How Does Frequency Influence PEMF Therapy?
PEMF therapy brands often differ based on their specific specs, which consists of waveform, intensity, and frequency.
Of these, frequency is perhaps the most significant in difference from brand to brand.
It’s also likely to have the most difference in how you use your PEMF device in relation to your specific symptom/disease/health goals.
What is PEMF frequency?
As mentioned above PEMF emits waves of energy.
Frequency is how those waves are measured, specifically how many are emitted by the device per second.
Longer electromagnetic field waves have less pulses per second, and shorter waves have more pulses per second.
It’s all measured in cycles or Hertz (Hz.)
Most at-home PEMF devices on the market today are deemed “low frequency” or “extremely low frequency.”
These usually stay in the 1-100 Hz range.
A few high frequency devices featuring frequencies from 100-10,000 Hz are on the market, and there are also a very few that exceed the 10,000 Hz frequency.
Why low frequencies?
From the earth itself to all its objects, any living entity generates a range of specific frequencies.
A similar situation happens inside your body.
Each of the various types of cells also have distinct frequencies.
This is how the cells communicate amongst themselves and, when necessary, with other types of cells.
Think of frequency assignment like phone numbers.
The brain is one of the most well known for its distinct wave states.
You’ve likely heard of alpha, beta, delta, and theta brain waves?
Well each state uses a specific frequency based on whether the brain is excited, calm, fearful, sleepy, etc.
Matching the electromagnetic waves natural to the brain in these states, the PEMF device can influence/alter your brain activity.
Amazing, right?
While the body and earth are great guides for PEMF use, the scientific community has determined that people can respond differently to the exact same PEMF configuration.
There are simply too many distinctive variables within the human body to put PEMF frequencies under a catchall, which is to say that there isn’t one exact right brand or PEMF configuration that’s right for everyone.
Researchers are working diligently to learn more about how specific frequencies influence specific categories and subcategories of subjects, which will eventually help us learn more about what specific frequencies are most and least beneficial to a particular pathology or person.
Of course, after you begin using PEMF, your body becomes stronger as it heals itself more efficiently and effectively.
So, it’s only natural that your body will change how it responds to the frequency as it improves.
All of the above is to say that isolating one, indefinite “best” frequency is highly personalized and will likely evolve with usage.
You’ll likely find that determining your own best frequency, wavelength, and intensity will be a trial and error process.
Allow the research to point you in the right direction and offer a starting point.
You can also use a PEMF frequency chart to match your your condition with a preferred frequency range.
The optimal range for diabetes, for example, is 12-22 Hz. Meanwhile, anxiety is 2-8 Hz, and hyperactivity is around 20 Hz.
From the above, listen carefully to how your body responds to therapy.
Make one adjustment at a time until you discover your own best PEMF configuration based on your outcomes and goals.
Timing will also be an element you’ll adjust to your condition and goals. In most cases, sessions range from just 10 to 30 minutes.
Acute conditions commonly respond best to the higher end of the PEMF frequency chart guidelines.
Meanwhile, chronic conditions may require lower intensities and longer exposure.
It’s not uncommon for chronic sufferers to choose a PEMF device with a mat, such as Bemer or HealthyLine, so that they can enjoy low-intensity, prolonged exposure.
Many users even sleep on their lower intensity PEMF mats for optimal results.
Any frequency in the low and extremely low range has been deemed safe for the vast majority of humans.
There are a few exceptions, such as in the case of pregnancy and if you have an implant.
In such cases, you should always consult your doctor before using PEMF.
If you’re unsure which frequency your condition and health goals best align with, then you can always consult your physical therapist, physician, or other healthcare expert.
Most any condition and pathology for at-home treatment will fall under the 1-32 Hz frequency range.
While some PEMF brands exceed this number, the research suggests that higher isn’t better when it comes to PEMF.
This isn’t surprising news considering that the earth’s own magnetic waves and fields fall within the above range.
PEMF Wave Types
The waveform is the shape of the PEMF signal.
How fast the waveform rises and falls can either diminish or enhance the PEMF therapy and cellular resonances.
Similar to intensity, you’ll also find that most PEMF brands tout they have the “best” waveform.
A few use specialty waveforms, but most use sine, saw, or square.
Which is the best waveform?
Science hasn’t singled out any one particular waveform as superior to the rest.
Most experts turn to the famous NASA study that used a square wave as the standard for PEMF devices.
Aside from the NASA study, most all other PEMF research involves regular sine/sinusoidal waveforms.
And, it has shown that waveform and frequency tightly correlate.
Higher frequencies equal shorter waveforms. Lower frequencies equal longer waveforms.
The Benefits of PEMF Therapy
PEMF is so fascinating because of its plethora of uses and confirmed benefits in so many areas of disease and health.
You’ll find research backing an optimal PEMF range for diseases and health conditions under almost any system in the human body, including:
- Musculoskeletal
- Circulation
- Nervous
- Digestive
- Respiratory
- Cardiac
- Skin and wounds
- Eyes
- Endocrine
- Neurological
PEMF has been proven to at reduce inflammation and pain and bolster circulation.
As such, it’s application is quite extensive since degenerative, autoimmune, and acute injuries can all negatively impact inflammation, pain, and circulation.
Even your diet can create inflammatory responses within the body that need to be corrected to prevent complications.
PEMF is also diverse in its usage.
It can be used alone as a natural alternative to traditional treatment options, or it can be combined with conventional therapies as a multi-pronged approached.
PEMF has the ability to restore and bolster healthy cellular function.
This makes it ideal for almost any pathology, injury, or post-surgical case where healing must take place.
Of course, by enhancing cellular function, even the natural aging process is impacted by PEMF therapy.
From sleep issues and neurological problems to joint and nerve pain, PEMF benefits are well documented for the perspective user.
Is PEMF Right For You?
In closing, PEMF is a highly vetted, safe, and popular therapeutic tool.
The health benefits are extensive across so many categories, and use of low-intensity devices have little to no safety concerns.
With a little attention to frequency, waveform, and intensity configurations, you can select an at-home PEMF device to best suit your own personal health and goals.
Once you make your selection, just remember not to base your use and settings on others.
Listen to your own body’s responses as you make the adjustments to tailor your device to your own best use.