5 Things High Power PEMF Therapy can do for People, Horses and Dogs
Updated 01/04/2019
A PEMF story and some nerdy research.
Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy is not new, but the technology is getting some fresh attention these days. I credit a certain outspoken horse for making me look at it again. Her name is Mimi, she was 4 years old, and she had hock pain from juvenile arthritis in the low joints of her hock. That pain radiated up into her back and caused pain along her entire top line.
Juvenile arthritis in horses is not the same curse as the human condition of the same name. It is quite painful though, and fusion may never naturally complete on its own.
The vet had evaluated her and I had done standard hock injections already. Those brought her up to about 75%. She was still pretty grumpy. I called out an equine bodyworker. That brought her up to about 85%, but she was still bothered.
Fusion with alcohol was not an option for us due to the risk of fusion occurring in the high motion joints of the hock as well. This would have detrimental effects on the longevity of her life and career.
I needed a third angle of attack to help Mimi.
The basic concept of PEMF therapy is the application of a created electromagnetic field to “recharge the batteries of the cell” in the body. Some PEMF modalities (forms of the therapy) are FDA approved, and many people utilize its seemingly endless potential for just about anything. The number of studies done on this therapy seem to be exponentially growing as well, though none of them seem to be standardized concerning the vast amount of variables one can come across with these devices.
I had seen and heard these powerful machines echo down the aisles of horse shows for the past 5 years, and decided to explore how it could possibly help Mimi.
Researching these machines made me feel like I had enrolled myself in a self-taught, google-based, class of historical and applied physics. I poured through countless abstracts seeking a simple explanation. I right clicked what felt like every tenth word in scholarly searches until I had a basic understanding of what it was all about. Then I started shopping.
Prices on these machines can range from less than $1,000 to more than $25,000. The high price manufacturers claim the low-price, low Hz, low-power models don’t do anything. The low price manufacturers claim the high price guys have too much power and can be harmful for the body. These low Hz/low power people fall back on Schumann resonances and NASA studies for support. In an episode of Skeptoid by Brian Dunning, Brian picks apart Schumann resonances and concludes with a statement that would make any pseudoscientist sick.
Life on Earth is neither dependent upon, nor enhanced by, any specific frequency. Most of these sales pitches are what we in the brotherhood like to call a Word Salad, sciencey-sounding language thrown together in such a way as to sound impressive to the layperson. There’s plenty of sciencey goodness in understanding why and what the Schumann resonances actually are, without co-opting them to promote nonsense.
In an attempt to link the actual NASA study for this piece in 2016, I couldn’t find it. I found three PEMF machine websites with claims the NASA study had some sort of proof linking their device to it. All of them linked to what they claimed to be the study. All of the links were 404 errors. It was clear to me the jig was up with these companies who were name dropping NASA to sell their product. Update: Thank you Nicholas for locating the study- it can be found here.
At one point I was a member of Generation Y, and have now been unceremoniously grouped in with Millennials, and “Generation C”. Regardless, I believe I can speak for all of these, when I say our consumer culture demands transparency, honesty and business ethics.
During my search I came across companies that not only lacked these qualities- but were simply out of touch with the way to market to people. Generation Y, C, and Millennials are not easily duped by marketing tactics of the past. They do their research, they can only afford to buy something once- so it needs to be right the first time.
I found the advertising techniques used by many of these distributors to be as aged as the people running them. Many had been given FDA warnings for making false claims about the machines or what they can do. The first, and worst, google search of mine turned up none other than Dr. Oz promoting PEMFs on his show. I had laughed him off a long time ago after the green coffee bean fiasco, yet he still does reach many people at home. Those who have yet to cut the cord at least.
Even though my anti-idol was promoting it, I knew in my gut there had to be good technology somewhere. PEMF therapy had to have some basis of fact or good results or it would have gone the way of the dodo by now. After 4 months of thorough research into a field full of dodgy history, old marketing tactics and shoddy technology, I picked a machine that I know is far superior to anything else on the market. The PER 2000, manufactured in the USA by Pulsed Energy Technologies is- and continues to be- the industry leader in high power PEMF therapy. The company offers 3 versions of the PER 2000, the Junior, the Mini and the HD. I started with the Junior, and Electric Cowgirl was born.
I am proud to say that after two plus years of using their product, I am an official sales representative for Pulsed Energy Technologies. If this piece inspires you to purchase a machine yourself, email me- chelsea@pulsedenergytech.com
This piece describes some of the potential effects high power (Meeting or exceeding 25,000 Gauss) PEMF therapy can have on the body. There are machines that have lower Gauss than that- this article makes no attempt to describe the effects of low-powered machines. The minimum Gauss of any PER 2000 is 161,000.
How is Mimi doing? After 10 sessions with my PER 2000 Junior, which took roughly a month- she had zero hock pain and her lower hock joints had fused completely. She went from injections every 6 months to no need for them at all, and remained pain-free for another 2 years until she was sold.
1) It Creates Electroporation
Our cells have a membrane that is designed to only allow a certain amount of molecules or compounds through at a time. When the cell encounters a field, like the one generated from a PEMF machine, the cell wall “loosens” and allows MORE of these things to come in and out in a shorter amount of time. The term for this is electroporation.
This means the cell can bring in, and use, more compounds, molecules, or DNA. It also enables the cell to rid itself of waste, cellular metabolism improves, and ingested or injected medications or supplements can become more effective. From a daily supplement to chemotherapy treatments, high power PEMF therapy can have far reaching benefits when coupled with traditional medicine.
2) Fractures heal faster, and better.
It can supercharge osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are part of a larger group of bone cells. Their job is to deposit minerals (Ca++/Calcium) into to the bone during bone formation. PEMF therapy coupled with bone fractures has shown an increase in the quality of Ca++ deposited during bone mending. It is also credited to decrease fracture healing time by up to 1/3 of the normal time!
PEMF Therapy is FDA approved for non-union fractures. A non-union fracture is a bone break that, for unknown reasons, is not healing properly.
3) It can aid in wound closure
You know that ulcerated diabetic wound that has been bothering you? A high powered PEMF machine can help with that. Post operative surgical sites benefit from the use of PEMF’s. It can also help with your everyday bangs and bruises by reducing swelling in any area.
Is it going to be like the dermal regenerator they use on Star Trek? No, not exactly- unless you wanted to sit in front of a time lapse camera.
PEMF’s give the damaged area of the body the energy it needs so it can heal faster. If your horse gets cast and ends up looking like he danced with a cheese grater, PEMF’s will get him back to work faster.
4) Rouleau (rue•low) separation
Red blood cells have a tendency to stick together in the bloodstream- like a little stack of button magnets. The term for many of these stacked cells is rouleaux. The formation of rouleaux is never beneficial. It can mean there is some disease in the body, or can contribute to the development of disease, by decreasing the efficiency of the body itself.
The very small capillaries in the body only allow singular, independent blood cells to travel through them. A rouleau(singular) is unable to travel through capillaries due to their stacked nature. PEMF therapy can separate stacks of rouleaux(plural) within minutes. This decreases blood viscosity, and improves circulation and oxygen distribution. This could also be the reason users have recorded a 15–30% drop in blood pressure shortly after beginning a treatment.
5) It can reduce or eliminate chronic pain and inflammation
Pain is the reason most people invest in or pursue treatment with this technology. Thousands of studies have been done concerning PEMF therapy and pain management.
Pain is generated in the central nervous system through nerves, which these high powered PEMFs affect. Afferent nerves of the central nervous system tell the body when there is something wrong, and send a pain signal to the brain(hot pan!). Efferent nerves take a signal from the brain and tell the muscles of body what to do(let go of the pan!).
We know long term pain is actually detrimental for us to experience and can cause depression. The field created in the loop of the machine affects both afferent and efferent nerves. Afferent nerves “feel” the generated field and send a signal to the brain. Though everyone describes individual and unique experiences when using this therapy, we normally feel these afferent nerve signals being sent from damaged areas of the body when the applicator is brought near them.
It is obvious the efferent nerves are effected as well, because during high power PEMF therapy the muscles of the body jump involuntarily. This is extremely helpful in cases of muscle atrophy. The affect on efferent nerves helps relax tight or locked up muscles for the same reason. It is possible to feel overexertion in from the muscles after a high power PEMF session.
This tool is a great first line of defense for the entire family. Sore neck in the morning from sleeping wrong? 10 minutes will fix that. Mimi? Loves it. Overzealous bulldog who tore her ACL? Twice? Fixed- no surgery required.
Thanks for reading! If you liked this piece please share it! Follow me on Medium- Chelsea Mansour for the next blurb of things I uncover on my PEMF journey. Maybe next I will go over the NASA study if anyone can find it?
This piece is intended for informational purposes only. It does not guarantee any of things will happen to you. I am not a doctor, or veterinarian- nor do I play one on the web. This information should only be taken as such, and not misconstrued as medical advice. Be smart, always speak with your doctor before using medical devices you read about on the internet.
If you are a resident of Southern California, Central Arizona or Colorado and are interested in utilizing our services, head to www.pemfcowgirl.com to explore how we can help you!
