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PEMF Therapy Side Effects

Because PEMF therapy has an effect on so many different health conditions and parts of the body, it means that it can also cause certain mild reactions.

Instead of calling these reactions side effects, most of them can be classified as minimal discomforts that appear for a short time and usually disappear with the continuation of the therapy.

Most of these discomforts occur in people who have magnetic and electrical hypersensitivity, but luckily, there aren’t many people with this condition.

Moreover, it only rarely happens that PEMF therapy needs to be discontinued because of adverse reactions, as they are mild and insignificant in the majority of cases.

Only about 5% of patients experience any PEMF therapy side effects and, in most cases, it is enough to change the frequency or intensity in order for these to disappear completely.

In any case, the best way to prevent any possible discomforts is to learn about them.

Therefore, here are the most common side effects that people experience when they first start using PEMF therapy.

 

Nutrients and Medication

PEMF therapy can affect the way in which our body absorbs certain nutrients and substances from medication.

Therefore, we need to be wary when receiving PEMF therapy and certain medication together.

For example, PEMF therapy can cause coagulation, and therefore hinder the effects of aspirin and some anticoagulants.

So we should avoid it if we take these drugs.

Moreover, PEMF therapy can lower the levels of blood sugar directly after treatment.

Therefore, if we are taking medicine that also lowers blood sugar, our blood sugar levels can drop too low.

Finally, some sources also claim that PEMF therapy should not be combined with chemotherapy, as it can hinder its effect.

PEMF therapy improves cell growth, so there is a fear that it could increase cancer cell growth, as well.

 

Blood Pressure

PEMF therapy has a very beneficial effect on high blood pressure.

It causes vasodilatation and, in that way, improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure.

However, this is also a potential cause of side effects, in some cases.

Elderly people and people who are bedridden may experience some discomfort.

Side effects such as dizziness and fainting have been reported because these patients are not accustomed to sudden changes in their blood pressure.

These side effects occur especially when these patients change positions.

However, all of these discomforts usually disappear after a short time as the body gets used to the therapy.

 

Pain

When PEMF therapy is administered, it improves both circulation and nerve function.

However, because the nerves function better, it means that they become more sensitive to pain.

Due to this, it is common to experience increased pain in the initial stages of PEMF therapy.

This side effect especially occurs in patients who have scars or bone fractures.

However, this pain usually ceases after several sessions of treatment, so the therapy does not need to be discontinued.

However, this effect of PEMF therapy can also be used to find an underlying problem.

If a medical supervisor notices pain in an uncommon place in the body or a type of pain that is not experienced by other patients, they should carry out the necessary examination.

 

Blood Flow

Because of vasodilatation that happens immediately after applying PEMF therapy, circulation in ischemic tissues suddenly rises, as well.

Even though in many cases this reaction is seen as positive, it also causes a lot of oxidative stress.

However, this is not a serious side effect, and can be dealt with by increasing our antioxidant intake by eating more fruits and vegetables, or by taking supplements.

Because of improved circulation, certain inflammatory processes in the skin can worsen, as well.

Therefore those with skin issues should take precautions when using PEMF therapy.

 

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is by many medical experts considered a contraindication for PEMF therapy.

Since PEMF therapy improves cell growth and regeneration, there is a chance that it could have the same effect on cancer cells, as well.

If that was true, chemotherapy and PEMF therapy would negate each other.

It is best to avoid using PEMF therapy during chemotherapy, and start using it after the chemo treatment is over.

In that case, PEMF therapy would help repair the damaged healthy cells in our body.

 

Pregnancy

It is still not completely clear what effect PEMF therapy has during pregnancy.

We should be especially careful and avoid using it until there is more information about this case.

As we already learned, PEMF therapy accelerates cell growth and regeneration.

However, the fetus is already strongly affected by human growth hormone, and is experiencing increased growth.

Therefore, PEMF therapy could cause abnormal growth of certain cells, in theory.

Since it is still not clear how this might impact the fetus, it is best to avoid PEMF therapy during pregnancy until more research is done.

 

Skin Sensations

Some patients show more sensitivity to magnetic and electric fields than others.

So, in some cases, these patients report feelings of tingling and warmth in areas targeted by pulsed electromagnetic fields.

These effects, however, are described more as a discomfort than a side effect, and usually disappear very quickly.

Another reason why this might happen is increased blood flow in the area.

Therefore, the warmth that patients feel is not dangerous in any way, and cannot cause burns.

 

Electric Medical Devices

If a patient has any electric medical device implants, such as pacemakers or insulin pumps, they should not be using PEMF therapy.

The beneficial magnetic field that PEMF therapy uses is generated by electricity.

Therefore, there is a chance that it could interfere with other medical devices, or cause them to stop working altogether.

However, with proper medical supervision, it is possible to apply PEMF therapy to certain parts of the body that are located far from the electric medical device.

Full body PEMF devices should be avoided at all costs.