A brief intro to PEMF therapy necessitates an introduction to the frequency used in PEMF therapy machines and how those frequencies interact with the body and influence healing. Although frequency may seem simple enough, it can actually be a complicated equation used to determine the best PEMF therapy type for your body’s health needs. Fortunately, plenty of research has been conducted in order to construct a general idea of the best frequency settings for PEMF therapy and the ailments it targets, and evaluating which machine and which settings are right for you may be as simple as determining which ailment most closely fits your own.
Why Frequency Matters
Frequency is to PEMF therapy machines what radio stations are to the radio: they determine what is communicated to the body, and how effectively that communication is delivered. Frequency matters tremendously in determining which PEMF therapy settings are right for you, because frequency determines what and how the energy being delivered to the body is communicating to the body’s cells.
The importance of frequency in the body as already been determined: the brain emits and respond to certain waves. A cursory investigation of brain waves reveals the presence of at least 4 brain waves, which can effectively predict how alert, tired, elevated, or depressed your neurological activity is. Just as your brain has measurable frequencies, your body presents measurable and identifiable frequencies. PEMF therapy utilizes its own frequencies to offer specific types of communication with the body, in order to positively influence health.
Frequency matters for PEMF therapy, because frequency determines how effectively a machine is able to deliver and direct energy in the body. Lower frequencies might not reach deeply into the body as effectively as higher frequencies, and the energy that is given to the body in each PEMF therapy pulse may not be utilized to its full potential. Frequency matters for PEMF therapy because the type of communication being provided to your body matters tremendously.
Although there is some consensus about which type of frequency is best utilized for specific needs, all bodies respond to PEMF differently, and will respond to frequencies differently at different points in healing. PEMF therapy has shown itself to be a safe and effective type of treatment for a host of conditions, but the way that PEMF therapy interacts with the body can change over time, according to its existing healing ability and previous interventions. For this reason, adhering to a specific frequency range can be useful for some people, but others will require a more variegated approach, with some trial and error.
So what exactly are the best frequencies? There are no ideal frequencies overall for PEMF therapy, but there are some ideal frequencies for specific targeted needs for PEMF therapy. These will be further evaluated and discussed below.
The Best Frequencies for General Health Maintenance
Typically, lower frequencies are recognized as the best frequencies for general health maintenance, though they may also be used to target extremely minor issues, such as acne or difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep. Lower frequencies considered ideal for general maintenance include frequencies between 1 and 10 Hz, and a regimen using any of these frequencies for 10-30 minute sessions each day is usually considered substantial enough to aid in maintaining health and supporting overall wellness.
Health maintenance can seem vague, so it is perhaps best to identify what exactly qualifies as “maintenance” treatment, versus targeted treatment. Maintenance treatment is any type of health treatment that treats an ongoing but not directly hazardous or problematic concern. Maintaining adequate circulation, managing blood pressure, and supporting the health of your skin all fall under the umbrella of “maintenance,” as all of these are issues that have the potential to be long-term, but do not necessarily bear a tag of “chronic” or even constitute a disability, because they are easily managed.
Health maintenance can also include general mental health and sleep habits, as these can significantly impact your overall health and wellness. More serious anxiety and depression would not constitute maintenance, but general mental health can be maintained, and may be best supported with a lower frequency over one or more treatment sessions each day.
The Ideal Frequencies for Minor Health Complaints
While the best intensities for mild issues or maintenance are those found between 1 and 10 (or 1 and 15, if you do not respond readily to various types of treatment), a step above is usually considered ideal for mild to moderate issues, such as mild to moderate pain, or ongoing issues with seasonal allergies. Utilizing PEMF frequencies between 10 and 20 Hz may be the best course of action for these types of frustrating and bothersome (but likely not life-threatening or overtly hazardous) conditions.
Pain can also fall under the heading of “moderate,” particularly if that pain interferes in other attempts to maintain or support your health. Pain that might interfere with exercise, cause difficulty falling or staying asleep, or cause feelings of anxiety is likely to be grouped within a moderate condition, and is likely to respond well to frequencies within the 10-20 Hz range.
Additional conditions that fall within this range include asthma, depression and anxiety, chronic digestive upset, and more persistent skin conditions, such as eczema. These conditions are all significant enough to impair some daily functions, but are not usually severe enough to threaten daily life, or place a significant damper on standard, day-to-day living.
The Best Frequencies for Serious Health Conditions
The best intensities for more severe conditions typically fall within the 20-30 Hz range, but may include a large range of 15-30, as some chronic conditions might do better with longer sessions of lower frequencies. Fibromyalgia, for instance, is said to respond favorably to a frequency of 18 Hz, because it is a chronic condition, despite having symptoms that are far closer to a severe condition than a moderate one. The same is also true of diabetes: some estimates have asserted that diabetes responds best to a 12-22 Hz range, which straddles the line between moderate and severe frequency recommendations.
More acute conditions are usually treated with higher intensities within the recommended 1-33 Hz scale, such as bone fractures. Bone fractures may respond best to PEMF frequencies of or around 20 Hz, while a herniated disc may react most effectively to a 20-30 Hz range.
The severity of a symptom can also inform the best frequency. Mild circulatory issues, for instance, may respond well to a lower Hz, of 2-6. More severe circulatory issues, conversely, may require a higher frequency, such as 20 Hz. When determining which frequency is best for your needs, it is important to consider not only the condition itself, but also the severity of the symptoms you are experiencing, and how often those symptoms are experienced. Long-term, acute issues with severe symptoms will likely require a different treatment approach than more short-term acute issues with only mild symptoms.
Learning to Recognize Frequency
Recognizing and selecting the right frequency for your needs requires you to thoroughly understand frequency and why it matters. Whether you have a serious health condition, or you are simply looking for a bit of health maintenance, there is a PEMF therapy machine that is best suited to meet your needs and offer a supplementary path to health.
Richard Hoover is a PEMF expert and content contributor to PEMF Advisor. With a bachelor’s degree in physics and multiple certifications in natural health programs, he is one of the best PEMF experts around.