A discussion of electricity and energy often draws mixed results and plenty of confusion.
Much of the language surrounding EMFs is muddled and confusing, riddled with technical jargon that the average consumer may not be familiar with.
This can make understanding the difference between EMFs and PEMFs difficult.
What exactly is the difference between the two? To investigate this, an introduction to EMFs as a whole is necessary.
Electromagnetic Fields: The Basics
The term “Electromagnetic Field” can cause some degree of confusion for people who are not operating in a scientific or medical field.
“EMF” is often associated with electricity and the vast web of waves that links the world today, such as microwaves, nuclear energy, and even the WiFi that powers our tablets, cell phones, and computers.
Although this is certainly true, it does not give as large or accurate a perspective of EMFs as is necessary to truly understand what an electromagnetic frequency is and how it might interact with the human body to promote or hamper health.
There are two recognized types of EMFs: ionizing and non-ionizing.
The types of EMFs are grouped into these two categories to identify what types of EMFs are harmful (or potentially harmful) to humans, and what types are considered safe for humans.
Ionizing EMFs are EMFs that have been linked to adverse effects in humans, while non-ionizing EMFs are linked to few risks to human health.
Much of the EMFs people come into contact with on a daily basis fall into the latter camp, and are considered innocuous, only minutely harmful, or actually beneficial.
WiFi, microwaves, and household electricity all fall under the umbrella of non-ionizing EMFs, as these have not been linked to any long-term side effects or hazards in humans.
The non-ionizing EMFs are typically those used in households and medical settings, but ionizing EMFs may also be found in medical facilities, as is the case when radioactive isotopes are used in the treatment of cancer, and X-rays are used to penetrate the body to get to the root of disease.
In cancer treatment, the potential benefit outweighs the potential risks.
In X-rays, the same is true: the benefit of seeing issues in the body outweigh the risks of harming the human body—risks that, in infrequent uses such as X-rays, are not considered likely to lead to anything problematic long-term.
Electromagnetic fields can be manmade, but they are also found in nature.
EMFs are found in every living thing, as the act of living and breathing requires and generates EMFs.
Understanding EMFs means understanding how the human body works, and how manmade and natural EMFs can interact with the EMFs found in and generated by the body.
The Differences Between EMFs and PEMFs
The “EMF” portion of “PEMF” stands for the same thing: electromagnetic frequency.
Apart from this, however, the two are quite different, as EMFs are large-scale frequencies that describe a truly enormous range of electromagnetic waves, while PEMF is a dedicated, targeted therapy modality that seeks to mimic and encourage the body’s own natural energetic frequency and signatures.
PEMF stands for Pulsed Electromagnetic Frequency, which describes the manner in which EMFs are delivered.
The term Electromagnetic Frequency describes a broad spectrum of radiation, including innocuous energies, such as those found in PEMF therapy, and potentially hazardous energies, such as those emitted by the sun’s UVB, UVA, and UVC rays.
Another word for EMF is radiation—a word that is often met with fear or great concern.
What is less often discussed is that radiation is all around us and within us, as the preferred scientific term for the energetic signatures and frequencies found in all living things.
Consequently, PEMF therapy can be considered a form of radiation, but is typically not identified as such, because radiation often suggests a lack of safety or the presence of harmful or carcinogenic material, which diverges from the truth of PEMF therapy’s safety and efficacy.
EMF is a large-scale descriptor, while PEMF is an extremely narrow descriptor.
PEMF therapy does not describe a broad categorization of therapies or health practices, but specifically refers to a type of machine that delivers a small range of electromagnetic energy in pulses, to more effectively penetrate and heal the body.
PEMF Therapy: How It Helps
PEMF therapy is a specific type of therapy, but is used for a broad range of ailments.
While many therapies target a single area of the body, such as the spine in chiropractic care, PEMF therapy can be used as a large-scale reducer of inflammation and pain, in addition to being applied to target acute conditions.
This particular type of therapy is considered alternative, as it deviates from the standards and norms currently practiced by Western medicine.
Nevertheless, PEMF therapy has plenty of scientific support to justify its use in a variety of settings, including clinical therapy settings and at-home therapy.
PEMF therapy helps by encouraging the body to adhere to or draw back to its natural energetic expression, encouraging intra and intercellular communication.
Communication between the body’s cells plays a substantial role in the development of disease, and the promotion of health.
When cellular communication breaks down, the body’s systems cannot interact correctly or offer support to make sure everything is working in tandem.
Detoxification pathways can break down, nutrient absorption can suffer, and sleep, digestive, and sympathetic nervous system function can all begin to break down.
When the body’s cells are communicating consistently and appropriately, these systems can begin to work in tandem, and promote health and ongoing healing.
In addition to promoting cellular communication, PEMF therapy can help promote cellular function overall.
Cells are the building blocks of the human body, and even a small functional issue can contribute to significant health issues.
PEMF therapy can be used to provide acute healing through cell function and communication, as is the case when PEMF therapy is used to target a wound, and it can be used to promote healing for chronic conditions, such as joint degradation in arthritis.
Used consistently, PEMF therapy has shown promise as a treatment method for conditions as diverse as depression, arthritis, muscle damage, post-surgery recovery, and wounds.
All of these conditions can lead to chronic pain, ongoing health concerns, and compounding issues.
Improved wound healing, for instance, can help close the window in which a human body is susceptible to secondary infection.
Quick muscle recovery can help improve your willingness to exercise, thus boosting your health.
PEMF therapy is beneficial both as a narrow, focused treatment and as an ongoing, regular therapy used as a catalyst for healing and maintenance for overall health.
Electromagnetic Fields: Potential Hazards
Because the term “electromagnetic field” is synonymous to “radiation,” there are some hazards associated with EMFs—though, again, it is crucial to understand that not all EMFs are created equal, and EMFs that pose the greatest potential hazards are those that are considered ionizing, or capable of penetrating and damaging the human body.
Although radiation is frequently linked to intense changes, such as those brought about by enormous disasters like Chernobyl, the potential hazards of long-term ionizing EMF exposure typically involve an increased risk of developing certain types of cancer in the future—particularly in children.
Such hazards are still quite low without prolonged and continual exposure, which is why people who are exposed to ionizing radiation like X-rays are required to wear protective gear.
Prolonged exposure can increase cancer risk, but having an X-ray or two periodically for the sake of health will not have the same intense effects.
Much of the exposure to EMFs that people experience—even harmful EMFs—is so small and limited, that it poses little (if any) true risks.
The most common sources of ionizing radiation that can do a great deal of damage include exposure to powerful electrical voltage, prolonged exposure to X-rays, and accidental or incidental exposure to radiation due to damaged electrical boxes or other sources of electricity and radiation.
The most disastrous exposures to radiation have occurred following the breakdown of nuclear reactors, such as the reactor breakdowns in Chernobyl, Japan, and the U.S., but these exposures are extremely rare, and require close proximity to a damaged nuclear power plant.
Daily exposure to electricity, cell phone signals, and even microwaves have not been linked to any long-term side effects.
Is PEMF Therapy Safe?
PEMF therapy does use electromagnetic frequencies to deliver its therapeutic benefits, but the wavelengths, frequencies, and intensity involved in PEMF therapy are far lower than any EMFs associated with carcinogenic material or physical harm.
Typically, the most substantive drawback is the possibility of a general feeling of discomfort, or perhaps a small headache.
PEMF therapy is lauded not only for its ability to treat a wide variety of conditions, but also for its incredibly low risk factors.
Unlike many Western therapy modalities, PEMF is close to risk-free, with very few side effects (if any) observed and reported in clinical trials.
Is PEMF therapy safe?
The evidence suggests a profound and resounding “yes.”
PEMF therapy can be used for countless conditions, including sensitive conditions that often respond poorly to other treatments, such as immediately post surgery, with open wounds, and with mental health issues, such as depression.
Each of these conditions can be improved by the intervention of PEMF therapy, in addition to arthritis, chronic pain diagnoses, and even difficulty with muscle recovery.
PEMF therapy is a jack-of-all-trades, providing healthy, low-risk intervention for people of all ages and backgrounds, with a diverse set of needs.
PEMF therapy is considered safe because it does not use high-intensity or high frequency waves to penetrate the body, but instead provides a generalized treatment, delivering consistent pulses of matched energy, to more effectively aid in wound healing, cellular communication, and self-healing.
Potential Hazards: PEMF
Although PEMF therapy is considered a highly effective and safe therapy practice, there are two situations in which to exercise caution: pregnant women should avoid using PEMF therapy, as there are no long-term or clinical studies identifying the safety of PEMF in conjunction with pregnancy.
It may be used for additional support in labor, but should not be used during pregnancy, to make sure both mother and child are safe.
PEMF therapy should also be used with caution when a patient has a pacemaker or other electrical implant, particularly when the area of need corresponds to the area of treatment.
A headache, for instance, may not be ideal for PEMF treatment, if you have a cochlear implant.
Using PEMF over the chest or back when you have a pacemaker could also be problematic, as the electromagnetic pulses have the potential to interfere with the electrical inner workings of the device/s.
Although PEMF therapy is largely considered a safe therapy modality, there is always the possibility of reacting adversely to any new therapy, and some people who use PEMF over long periods report small headaches or other harmless but uncomfortable side effects.
Some of the concern over these effects can be mitigated by seeing a PEMF therapist for a few sessions before deciding to pursue a long-term treatment plan, or an at-home machine.
PEMF Versus EMF
While it can be confusing to understand the difference between PEMF and EMF, initially, the two are not synonymous.
All PEMF therapy utilizes EMFs, but not all EMFs are equal to PEMF therapy.
Both describe electromagnetic frequencies and waves, but EMF is an umbrella term, while PEMF is a targeted type of therapy.
Understanding the differences between the two is important, as it can offer peace of mind regarding PEMF therapy and all that it entails, and it can help you make an informed decision regarding alternative therapies, including which therapies are safe and effective, and which might take advantage of consumers’ confusion or misunderstanding.
Although not all EMFs are safe for human exposure or use, PEMF therapy has been consistently proven as a safe, effective therapy, fit for use with people of many different ages, backgrounds, and needs.
PEMF therapy uses extremely low-level frequencies to support the body, which ensures that no harm is brought to cells, and the therapy is extremely safe, even when used in a home setting.