Selecting a new form of therapy can initially induce anxiety; not knowing what to expect, and not knowing exactly how a therapy session will go can make any new type of treatment method intimidating.
This is perhaps even moreso the case when an alternative therapy method is involved, as many people are quick to dismiss alternative therapies, or know very little about how many alternative therapies work, including their mechanism of action, and the ideal and expected outcome of treatment.
PEMF often falls within this camp.
Happily, PEMF has a solid body of research behind it, with increasing numbers of applications being approved by the FDA.
Nevertheless, even though PEMF therapy is a tried-and-true therapy modality, it does still come with a list of safety precautions that must be followed, in order to make sure that you are kept safe during treatment, and to make sure that treatment itself is effective.
First an investigation into what exactly PEMF is.
What Is PEMF Therapy?
PEMF therapy stands for Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy, and despite years of research, is still considered an alternative therapy.
While many therapy modalities are extremely narrow and targeted in their approach, PEMF is unique among its peers, in that it is not geared toward any single type of malady, physical or mental.
Instead, PEMF has been used in a truly enormous host of issues, ranging from physical pain and inflammation, to depression and other mood disorders.
PEMF therapy is administered by a team of professionals in most cases, but may also be accomplished at home, with the use of a home PEMF machine.
Depending on the location of the individual’s need, an electrode will be placed over the area, and a frequency will be selected.
In most cases, sessions will begin with a lower frequency, which essentially means that sessions will start out at a lower level of power, and gradually increase as time goes on, if treatment does not seem to be working.
For many, however, even a low level of power is enough to create a significant change, and a low frequency will be the only strength necessary.
PEMF therapy may seem, to some, like something straight from the annals of science fiction, but various forms of radiation and energetic healing have been used as long as humans have practiced some form of medicine, whether that was achieved through the use of magnets, or through the use of acupuncture and energetic readings.
While the term “energy” often conjures images of pseudo-medicine, or esoteric philosophy, the presence of energy within living creatures is well established, and research continues to support the notion that interacting with those electromagnetic frequencies found in the body can lead to either improved health, or declining health.
How PEMF Compares to Other Radiation Sources
Although radiation might, at first glance, seem frightening or dangerous, there are countless radiation methods that have been used in medicine for decades, most of which have proven safe—many of them practiced with very little restraint.
X-Rays, MRIs, Cat scans, and other methods of bodily investigation have proven incredibly helpful in the application of medicine, and have been used as safe and effective methods of searching the human body for clues leading to the source of illness injury.
Although these should not be used on a regular basis to avoid concerns and safety violations, health professionals suggest that when used properly, they do not present any real danger.
There are some forms of radiation that are used in human beings that are not considered safe, but are considered effective treatment methods, the most significant of which is radioactive isotopes being used in the treatment of cancer.
This type of radiation is not considered “safe,” necessarily, in that it can (and does) create additional, harmful side effects, but is considered useful and effective in treating cancer.
Microwaves, too, most argue, are perfectly safe forms of radiation, and a quick glance through most kitchens can attest to this; microwaves utilize radiation to heat food effectively.
Sunlight, even, is a form of radiation, and has a similarly complicated relationship with health; some sunlight is considered healthy, while too much exposure can lead to the development of cancer and can wreak havoc on human health.
There are forms of radiation that are not considered safe at all; radiation derived from nuclear fallout, for instance, is uniformly dangerous.
Long-term exposure to other “innocuous” forms of radiation (such as x-rays) can also do a great deal of damage to the human body.
Consequently, many people are quick to cite any radiation at all as problematic.
What is important to note, however, is that radiation and electromagnetic energy is found virtually everywhere, and is not all found in man-made inventions; everyone and everything is comprised of the same basic building blocks, which possess electrical charges.
Still other forms of radiation are considered safe for use, PEMF among them.
These types of therapy typically rely upon low frequencies, or shorter exposure times, in order to positive interact with your body’s unique electromagnetic waves and corresponding needs, and aid in your body’s ability to regulate itself and promote healing and optimal cell function.
Possible Safety Concerns: Pre-Existing Conditions
There are some pre-existing conditions that could preclude the use of PEMF therapy—or at least warrant a cautious approach.
These conditions typically include any condition that uses implants.
A pacemaker is the most common implant that could be negatively affected by PEMF therapy; because pacemakers rely upon electrical impulses to aid in cardiac function, PEMF therapy could negatively interact with those electrical impulses and either make the pacemaker function erratically, or turn it off altogether. In either case, though, the result could be hazardous.
Cochlear implants, too, can be negatively impacted by PEMF therapy, as they also rely on electrical impulses.
Although the results are not likely to be as potentially catastrophic as interference with a pacemaker, cochlear implants can be damaged or in other ways impaired by PEMF therapy, and careful precautions should be taken to make sure that the therapy is safe.
Any other type of mechanical or electrical implant can also preclude the use of PEMF therapy, though there may be other options available for people in need of therapy.
Pregnancy is typically another type of pre-existing condition that precludes PEMF therapy.
While some have asserted that very low frequency doses may not be harmful, most consider the potential risks far too great to consider using PEMF therapy.
For pregnancy, other forms of bodily manipulation may be considered, such as cupping, massage, or acupressure, as most offices performing any type of electromagnetic service will not risk working with pregnancy.
Seizures have frequently been cited as a cause for concern with radiation and radiation therapies, as MRIs and similar machines have been known to trigger seizures—though even this is a rare occurrence.
Despite the common association between some types of therapy and seizures, PEMF has actually been proposed as a potential treatment for seizures, as its goal is to realign the frequency of the human body to its proper function, which (theoretically) may be able to soothe the responses in the brain that lead to having a seizure.
Not all practitioners will utilize PEMF in this way, and not all should.
Seeking out a PEMF therapist for seizures should include a thorough vetting of the therapist’s history and education, and practitioners should begin at low frequencies to maintain safety for the client.
Possible Safety Concerns: Electromagnetic Exposure
Because PEMF is a type of electromagnetic therapy, it has garnered some distrust; after all, radiation is the source of chemical warfare, and a host of other horrors.
What is less understood is the interaction between the human body and outside electromagnetic fields.
When external frequencies are significantly higher than the EMF levels found in your body, disease, mutations, and illness can abound, which has led some to abandon the use of any EMF-emitting device, including microwaves, cell phones, wifi, and more.
Although the source of this concern seems reasonable, in the case of PEMF and most household electronics, it misunderstands the role of electromagnetic frequencies in the human body; an electromagnetic field is not, in and of itself, harmful and it does not, by default, negatively interact with the human body.
Some types of EMF-based therapy work synergistically, while others work antagonistically.
The human body has an electromagnetic signature of between 62 Hz to 72 Hz.
For this reason, low-frequency EMFs are typically considered safe, as they do not “knock out” your natural frequency.
High-Hz EMFs, conversely, have been proven to cause harm, because they supersede the cells’ natural frequency, or interfere with the cells’ ability to effectively interact with one another, and effectively communicate intracellularly.
This is achieved by the creation of free radicals, which have been closely and continually linked to disease.
PEMF therapy is one of the many types of therapy that falls under the umbrella of “non-ionizing” radiation.
Non-ionizing radiation is a low-frequency form of electromagnetic field known for its low frequency and high wavelength, which renders it incapable of freeing electrons, which is the mechanism behind destructive radiation; “freed” or unpaired electrons roam in the body as “free radicals”—substances that cause harm.
Free radicals are natural substances found in the body, but are left over from various breakdown reactions, called “catabolic” reactions.
Although these reactions themselves are not harmful—even digestion involves catabolism—high levels of unpaired electrons mean high levels of untethered molecules roaming the body in search of a partner.
Partners are found readily, as the body is replete with electrons, but pulling from an already-paired electron creates a chain reaction of free radicals; a single free radical can create a domino effective of destabilizing molecules, which can severely impair cellular function.
Free radicals have been linked to issues as diverse as premature aging to cancer, making radiation a very serious, very real concern for people seeking health and vitality—radiation that is not found in PEMF devices.
Long-term, high frequency radiation exposure is absolutely harmful, but careful, professional, licensed PEMF professionals do not use extremely high-frequency machines in their practice, making PEMF a safe and effective means of treatment a host of ills.
Some practitioners will prefer to start all clients with an extremely low “dose” of the therapy, while others will tailor each and every session to the individual seeking treatment from the start, in order to pursue the fastest rate of response.
In either case, a safe practice will not use high-levels of EMFs during treatment, except in very rare cases involving intensive cancer treatment, in which potential benefits may outweigh potential risks—though even at these high frequencies, EMF does not shift over into a dangerous level of electromagnetic frequencies.
Safety and PEMF
Engaging any type of electromagnetic field therapy can initially be alarming, as the term itself is often imbued with a sense of fear, concern, or a sense of “other.”
Despite these common associations, though, not all EMFs are created equal, and even the human body emits a miniscule, measurable level of energy.
Understanding that PEMF is a safe practice involves understanding the way the human body works, with regard to electromagnetic pulses and frequencies, and how energy itself interacts with the human body as a whole (both positively and negatively).
While high-frequency electromagnetic pulses can cause free radical damage and corresponding disease and breakdown, low-frequency electromagnetic pulses do not have this effect on human tissue and nervous systems, because they mimic the same frequency level as the human body itself.
PEMF is a form of energy therapy, certainly, but it is a type classified as “non-ionizing” type of energy, or an electromagnetic field with frequencies too low to negatively impact electrons.
Because PEMF is so low, it does not present a large number of safety concerns, though it can negatively impact some people with pre-existing conditions including people who have pacemakers, cochlear implants, or other electronic devices permanently implanted into their bodies.
In these cases, PEMF may still be possible, but may require that the area in question be entirely avoided.
To maintain safety, PEMF practitioners will take a thorough patient history, including any previous conditions, implants, or medications that will negatively interact with PEMF therapy.
Doing so will ensure that each PEMF therapy session is conducted with safety and caution in mind, minimizing danger while maximizing efficacy.