PEMF (Pulse electromagnetic field) Therapy
Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy has been approved by the FDA for treatment of fracture non-unions and for the enhancement of bone formation after lumbar and cervical spine fusion surgery. Because PEMF has been shown to decrease markers of inflammation, it is also of interest as a potential therapeutic in soft tissue healing environments. PEMF has been utilized in clinical studies to treat osteoarthritis, epicondylitis, and rotator cuff tears. (NCBI 2018)*
You may have heard about PEMF therapy from your doctor, or maybe you’ve read about it in the news. If you’re a science buff, you might even know that it has been used by NASA to help mitigate bone loss and muscle atrophy in astronauts.
What is PEMF Therapy?
PEMF stands for Pulsed Electromagnetic Field. Devices that utilize PEMF technology emit electromagnetic waves at different frequencies in order to stimulate and encourage your body’s natural recovery process. You’re probably wondering how PEMF technology can benefit your body when other electromagnetic fields - like those produced by microwaves and x-ray machines - are harmful. According to Oska, “frequency and duration make all the difference.” The waves created by PEMF devices occur in brief bursts and are very low-frequency, like the electromagnetic waves found in nature. In fact, most waves involved in PEMF treatments have a lower frequency than you would be exposed to during a thunderstorm. (OSKA)*
How Does PEMF Therapy Relieve Pain?
Your whole body, including skin, bones, and organs, is composed of cells. The membranes of healthy cells have positive and negative magnetic charges. These charges are required to exchange ions carrying chemical elements your body needs to function, like calcium and potassium. Over time your cells deteriorate or get injured, and when that happens they lose their magnetic charges - and with them, the ability to exchange ions. Symptoms like inflammation, fatigue, and pain are caused by damaged cells with low charges. PEMF technology targets the affected area and restores cells’ healthy electromagnetic charges.
NCBI 2018: J Shoulder Elbow Surg. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2018 Mar 5. Published in final edited form as: J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2018 Mar; 27(3): 553–560. Published online 2017 Nov 22. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2017.09.024