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Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) — The Apeiron Life Perspective

5 min read

What it is:

PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) therapy is a non-invasive therapy that uses low or high-frequency electromagnetic waves to stimulate cellular repair and promote healing. PEMF works with your body's natural magnetic fields and influences cellular metabolism. PEMF devices have gained popularity in recent years due to their potential benefits for various health conditions, such as acute pain from injuries, osteoarthritis, chronic lower back pain, fatigue caused by multiple sclerosis, or mobility and pain issues after surgeries. There is also a growing interest in applying PEMF for mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Traditional PEMF therapy devices are usually full-body mats you lie on during a treatment session. At-home full-body and spot treatment devices are also available and range in price from a couple of hundred to thousands of dollars.


The human body requires electricity to send signals throughout the body and to your brain. PEMF therapy treats your cells like batteries that have been drained of energy due to injuries and pain. It can realign the cell's electricity and stimulate them to help resolve cellular dysfunction, supporting your body's overall wellness and function.



Purported claims:

  • Pain Relief

  • Improved Sleep

  • Faster Healing and Recovery

  • Reduced Inflammation

  • Improves Athletic Performance

  • Increase Energy Levels

  • Improve Anxiety and Depression



What the science says:

PEMF therapy may effectively reduce pain levels in individuals with chronic pain such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, and back pain. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from fibromyalgia, and a recent study showed that women had a significant reduction of pain after 4 and 8 weeks of PEMF therapy than the placebo group. Similarly, a study among elderly patients with knee arthritis found that those treated with PEMF experienced significant improvement in pain, stiffness, and physical function. The mechanisms by which PEMF may be beneficial in fibromyalgia are still unknown, but the hypothesis is that it can change brain waves and thus interfere with pain reception. According to another theory, PEMF therapy could also help stimulate the production of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers.


Approximately one in five American adults suffer from one or more sleeping disorders. Insufficient sleep, whether by choice or by a condition, has been deemed "a public health epidemic" by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While sleep medications can have side effects and be addictive, PEMF therapy has shown promise in naturally improving sleep quality in individuals with insomnia and nocturia, a condition where one has to wake up frequently during the night to pee. For a night of good quality sleep, our brains must fall into specific frequencies (theta and delta) that induce and enhance sleep. PEMF can target brain frequencies that interrupt sleep wave patterns and thus help us fall and stay asleep. A 4-week double-blind study found that 70% of participants who were given PEMF treatment experienced substantial or complete relief of their symptoms (sleep latency, interrupted sleep, or nightmares).


The FDA has approved PEMF therapy for the treatment of nonunion of bone, a body's inability to heal a fracture. It has been shown to increase the structural integrity of bone and cartilage extracellular matrix, enhancing the repair and altering the homeostatic balance of signaling cytokines, producing anti-inflammatory effects. Similarly, PEMF has been found to help promote the healing of wounds and soft tissue injuries. The therapy helps to increase blood flow to the affected area, which supports the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the cells, thereby accelerating the healing process. For example, in an Italian study with 30 patients with total knee joint replacement, the PEMF group demonstrated significantly reduced pain and swelling after surgery and also used fewer NSAIDs than the control group.


The ability of PEMF therapy to reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines has also been seen as a novel nonpharmaceutical means of regulating inflammation in injured tissues resulting in better tissue recovery. Following injury, the immune system maintains a delicate balance between pro-inflammatory and pro-regenerative immune cells. Studies show that PEMF therapy may regulate this delicate balance and enhance recovery.


Given the PEMF therapy's ability to reduce inflammation and enhance recovery, athletes have explored its ability to hasten healing from injuries and improve performance. A small study among male college athletes showed that PEMF was effective in the physiological effects of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) on biceps muscles. A recent study with semi-pro cyclists that investigated the effect of PEMF therapy during low and high-intensity exercise found that PEMF stimulation augmented the metabolism of muscular fibers and increased the activity of muscle fibers during warm-up but not during high-intensity load. However, a study among cross-country runners during a week-long training camp showed that PEMF therapy had a significant effect on the time for absolute and relative ventilatory threshold (VT), maximum heart rate, heart rate at VT, and respiration rate at VT, indicating that the therapy might be useful to increase performance even in higher intensity workloads.


PEMF therapy has been widely studied in helping reduce fatigue due to chronic pain or conditions such as multiple sclerosis and autoimmune diseases. Due to the anti-inflammatory effects of PEMF, it could help autoimmune patients deal with pain. An estimated 75-90% of MS patients experience fatigue at some point during the course of their disease, and it's often the main complaint. Patients in these studies mentioned noticeable improvements in fatigue and quality of life after PEMF therapy. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have also shown promise in treating chronic inflammation and aberrant immunity.


Because PEMF has a calming effect, it has been applied to people with mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. A study in Copenhagen, Denmark, showed that patients who were unresponsive to traditional antidepressants had clinically and statistically more significant improvements than those who received sham treatment within the first week of therapy. Several studies on humans with different levels of anxiety and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) show that PEMF therapy using either low or high frequency can significantly improve anxiety symptoms in patients, especially when combined with psychotherapy.



Our take:

We’re surrounded by electromagnetic fields or EMFs daily, from Wi-Fi to microwaves and cell phones. These artificial EMFs may add more stress to our bodies and be harmful long term, whereas PEMF therapy may promote cellular communication and enhance wellness and healing.



Will this benefit you?

PEMF may speed healing, reduce inflammation, and lower pain levels. Its wide variety of uses may be applied to all levels of athletes and those with complex health conditions (such as fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis). Most research articles emphasize that pulsed electromagnetic field therapy is best used alongside traditional rehabilitation and treatment protocols such as physical therapy. PEMF therapy is safe, with known side effects or potential drug interactions.


If you still want to try it, here’s what to keep an eye on:

PEMF therapy is non-invasive, safe for most people, and has no known side effects. However, people with severe arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), epilepsy, pacemakers, or other electrical implants shouldn’t use it. It is also contraindicated for children who have not completed their growth phase and pregnant women. In any case, it’s best to consult with your physician before using PEMF therapy.



References and further reading:

PEMF and knee osteoarthritis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22451021/

PEMF and fracture healing and joint repair: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7434032/

PEMF after knee joint replacement surgery: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3476962/

PEMF study with cyclists: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/6/922



 

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