- April 3, 2025
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) has been around since early 70s and became a revolution in therapeutic technology for its time offering non-invasive treatment across various fields. Initially developed to aid in bone healing and injury recovery, PEMF quickly became a staple in sports medicine and equine care. Athletes embraced PEMF for its ability to accelerate recovery from injuries, reduce inflammation, and enhance performance by promoting cellular repair and reducing muscle fatigue.
At the same time, PEMF found a unique application in space programs, particularly among Soviet cosmonauts and later NASA astronauts. Extended periods in space led to issues such as bone density loss and muscle atrophy, and PEMF provided a vital countermeasure. The therapy helped maintain musculoskeletal health by promoting bone density and improving circulation, crucial for long-duration space missions.
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) is a therapeutic effect on the human body with a pulsed electromagnetic field, which is several times more intense than traditional magnetic therapy. PEMF Therapy is about using electromagnetic fields to help and encourage the body’s natural healing processes. Don’t let the name scare you; it’s based on the simple idea that our bodies are made up of networks of electromagnetic fields and energy. In this therapy, you lie on a mat or use a device that sends out these pulsed electromagnetic fields, which can help with things like pain relief and better sleep.
How does it work? PEMF Therapy sends these electromagnetic pulses into your body. These pulses aren’t random; they are carefully set to match the Earth’s natural electromagnetic frequencies. This is important because our bodies have always been in tune with these natural frequencies, which help our cells work properly.
When PEMF fields go into our bodies, they interact with our cells’ processes. Think of it as a gentle ‘push’ to remind our cells how to work their best. This push helps cells repair, regenerate, and function efficiently. It’s like giving your body’s cells a little boost, similar to how you recharge a battery.
EMF Therapy doesn’t hurt (at levels of 0.35 Tesla or more, you might just feel a “push”). This is because the strength of the current matches how well the tissues conduct electricity. Weak currents are created in the skin, fat, and bones that don’t trigger pain. PEMF also activates certain nerve fibers to block pain signals in the spinal cord, providing long-lasting pain relief.
Research shows that PEMF is especially good for chronic pain. It can also help restore muscle tone and cause noticeable muscle contractions at higher levels (0.5 Tesla or more). PEMF spreads evenly through the body and works up to 10 centimeters from the device, affecting all nerve fibers.
Finally, the frequency of the PEMF pulses matches the natural impulses of certain nerve fibers(autonomic B-fibers), which helps with tissue nutrition and health.
PEMF Therapy promotes blood flow in a specific area, which helps clear out harmful substances from that spot and reduces inflammation. It changes the way cells work and how easily things can pass in and out of them, which helps to reduce swelling. PEMF also helps tissues heal and boosts the body’s natural repair processes, and even affects how antioxidants work in the body.
Thus, the main therapeutic effects of PEMF are:
The nervous system is most sensitive to PEMF, followed by the endocrine system, sensory organs, cardiovascular system, blood, muscles, digestive system, excretory system, respiratory system, and skeletal system.
Neurology: Diseases and injuries of the peripheral nervous system, including post-reconstructive nerve surgery, vertebrogenic nervous system diseases, cerebrovascular diseases with focal neurological deficits, traumatic brain and spinal injuries with motor and sensory disturbances, cerebral palsy (hemiparetic form, spastic diplegia), effects of neuroinfections, hereditary neuromuscular diseases, Raynaud’s disease (syndrome).
Traumatology and Orthopedics: Injuries of the musculoskeletal system (bruises, ligament injuries, bone fractures), soft tissue wounds, muscle hypotrophy resulting from injury-induced hypodynamia, scoliosis in children.
Arthrology: Deforming osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis (Bechterew’s disease), periarthritis, epicondylitis, arthritis, calcaneal spurs.
Surgery: Non-healing and infected wounds, trophic ulcers, furuncles, carbuncles, abscesses, hidradenitis, phlegmon after surgery, mastitis, chronic osteomyelitis, thermal burns, occlusive diseases of peripheral arteries.
Pulmonology: Chronic bronchitis in remission, bronchial asthma, pleural adhesions after dry and exudative pleuritis, bronchiectasis.
Gastroenterology: Hypomotor-evacuatory disturbances of the stomach (including post-gastrectomy and vagotomy), hypomotor dysfunction of the colon and gallbladder, peptic ulcer disease of the stomach and duodenum.
Cardiology: Hypertension stages I–II, vegetative-vascular dystonia.
Gynecology: Inflammatory diseases of the uterus and appendages, ovarian hypo-function, post-operative inflammatory changes after childbirth, menstrual disorders, dysmenorrhea.
Urology: Atony of the bladder, weakness of the sphincter and detrusor, prostatitis, sexual dysfunction in men, post-lithotripsy conditions, ureteral stones.
Ophthalmology: Partial optic nerve atrophy.
Occupational Diseases: Vibration disease.
Dentistry: Osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint, periodontal disease, pain after dental fillings.
For diagnostic purposes, PEMF is used to assess the functional state of the motor pathway (including the first motor neuron) through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), determining the amplitude of the motor evoked potential and measuring the central motor conduction time, as well as for brain mapping and intraoperative monitoring. This has important prognostic value in “motor neuron diseases” and allows for rapid assessment of the effectiveness of ongoing therapy.
General contraindications for use: severe arterial hypotension, systemic blood diseases, tendency to bleeding, thrombophlebitis, thromboembolic disease, bone fractures before immobilization, diffuse toxic goiter stage III, acute purulent inflammatory processes, abscesses and phlegmon before opening and draining the cavities, gallstone disease, epilepsy, presence of an implanted pacemaker, febrile conditions, pregnancy.
nataly@bioupgraded.com
@bioupgraded
Dallas, TX, USA
