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PEMF Therapy Effects & Changes in Body Processes
Many benefits of Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field (―PEMF‖) therapy have been demonstrated through more than 2,000 University level double-blind medical studies done in many countries with many different PEMF therapy devices.
Some of the positive effects of PEMF therapy were well established by the mid 1900’s. The first commercially produced low power PEMF devices entered the market in the early 1900s. These were used for studies and experimentation in healing and cellular wellness. They were sold both to consumers and as medical devices to doctors. The first commercially
produced high power PEMF devices entered the market around 1975. They focused on the health of muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments and cartilage, on reducing pain and on cellular regeneration. Medical PEMF therapy has been accepted in many countries around the world. The US FDA accepted the use of PEMF devices in the healing of non-union bone fractures in 1979, urinary incontinence and muscle stimulation in 1998, and depression and anxiety in 2006.
Israel has accepted the use of PEMF devices for migraine headaches. Canada has accepted PEMF devices for several uses. The European Union has many acceptances for the use of PEMF therapy in many areas including healing and recovery from trauma, degeneration and the treatment of the pain and range of motion issues.
Differences in PEMF Therapy Devices
Power Level: The magnetic energy produced by the various PEMF devices can be as little as that of the Earth’s magnetic field to more than 10,000 times as powerful. The lower power devices are generally used for cellular health and bone healing. The higher power devices are generally used for recovery of trauma from accidents, sports injuries and surgery, as well as for control and improvement of degenerative diseases. Both low power and high power devices help reduce pain, but the higher power devices are more effective in doing so.
Continuous or Pulsed Waveform : Although there are exceptions in both types, most low power PEMF devices have a continuous waveform while most high power PEMF devices have a pulsed waveform.
Shape of Waveform : The continuous waveform PEMF devices can produce a square, a saw tooth, a sine wave or a custom waveform. The pulsed output PEMF devices usually produce a biphasic short duration pulse.
Control of Frequency: Many low power PEMF devices have preset frequencies to choose from according to the manufacturers’ own different theories. Most high power PEMF devices have a user variable control of the pulse rate.
Duration of Treatment: Depending on the power level of the PEMF device, the treatment duration can be from three minutes to hours.
Primary Benefits of PEMF: Clinical evidence shows that PEMF therapy reduces pain associated with trauma from accidents, sports injuries, surgeries and burns as well as from disease and degeneration.
PEMF therapy improves these conditions in many different concurrent ways including mechanical, chemical, electrical and magnetic processes within the cells of the body.
In 1995, Siskin and Walker provided a summary of clinical results on soft tissue damage. They observed no adverse effects and the following positive effects were reported:
- Decreased pain
- Reduced inflammation
- Increased range of motion
- Faster functional recovery
- Reduced muscle loss after surgery
- Increased tensile strength in ligaments
- Faster healing of skin wounds
- Enhanced capillary formation
- Acceleration of nerve regeneration
- Decreased tissue necrosis.
In the ―Beneficial effects of electromagnetic fields‖, Bassett C. (Bioelectric Research Center, Columbia University, NY, 1993) applied time-varying pulsed magnetic fields designed to induce voltages similar to those produced normally during the dynamic mechanical deformation of connective tissues in an effort to control cellular function and understand the mechanisms by which PEMF treatment operates. He concluded: “A wide variety of challenging musculoskeletal disorders has been treated successfully over the past two decades... Many of the athermal bioresponses, at the cellular and subcellular levels, have been identified and found appropriate to correct or modify the pathologic processes for which PEMFs have been used… As understanding of mechanisms expands, specific requirements for field energetics are being defined and the range of treatable ills broadened. These include nerve regeneration, wound healing, graft behavior, diabetes, and myocardial and cerebral ischemia (heart attack and stroke), among other conditions. Preliminary data even suggests possible benefits in controlling malignancy”.
