PEMF therapy is an increasingly used form of energy therapy that has shown immense promise as an intervention for conditions as diverse as depression and arthritic pain. Because the therapy method has gained traction and grown in popularity, navigating the many different companies currently offering home PEMF machines can be tricky and confusing—especially for those who are new to PEMF therapy, and are looking for the best possible option for their needs, including the best price point, strength, and warranty. How exactly do the Healthy Wave mats stand up to their peers?
What Is PEMF Therapy?
Before getting too far into a review of the Healthy Wave mats, a quick review about PEMF therapy’s abilities and origins are in order. So what exactly is PEMF therapy?
PEMF therapy is a type of energy therapy that has its roots in magnetic therapy, but was developed following the invention of and research into electromagnetic fields. The name, PEMF, stands for Pulsed Electromagnetic Field, and the therapy is aptly named: PEMF therapy delivers pulses of electromagnetic energy harnessed from a pure copper coil.
The History of PEMF
PEMF therapy has roots in ancient therapies, including common Eastern therapies and magnet therapy. Where these therapies deviate from PEMF, though, is the decision to move toward electricity in manipulating and supporting the body, and to target the body’s cells, rather than energy centers or meridians in the body.
PEMF therapy began with the study of electromagnetic energy, and its initial technology has been linked to Nikola Tesla, and Tesla’s peers. These pioneers were responsible for developing electromagnetic fields, and it was the development of electromagnetic fields that allowed PEMF therapy to begin. Once electromagnetic fields were discovered, interest in using these fields as a source of healing grew, and scientists and medical professionals came together to begin developing therapies using electromagnetic fields.
Although the basis for PEMF began in the late 1800s, the machine as it is currently known was not fully developed and utilized until the mid 1900s. Researchers from a host of countries, including France, Japan, and the U.S. developed their own designs for PEMF therapy machines, and it was not until the 1960s that these designs reached a point that allowed PEMF therapy to be used consistently in clinical settings, ranging from veterinary clinics to wellness centers. As it stands, PEMF therapy has been used safely and successfully for over 40 years.
How PEMF Therapy Works
PEMF therapy is made up of several different components, each of them evaluated for the Healthy Wave mat in greater depth below. These components include the controller (also frequently called the control box), the mat itself, and the individual components of the technology itself: waveform, frequency, and intensity. The controller is used to select the settings for the mat in question, while the mat (or wand, band, or rings), is the mode of delivery for pulses of electromagnetic energy.
PEMF therapy is effective, because it supports the body’s natural healing abilities. How does it achieve this? PEMF therapy delivers pulses of energy directly to the body’s cells. A cursory examination of the human body reveals that energy is necessary for every bodily function, from your heartbeat to your respiration, and without adequate energy, basic healing pathways and functions are not able to work efficiently. PEMF therapy shores up energy loss and lack, in order to allow the body to carry out standard healing functions, including bone remodeling, cellular communication, and immune and inflammatory responses.
PEMF therapy is not a magical therapy, or an example of snake oil. It does not claim to miraculously cure or heal. Instead, it simply acts as an additional source of support to encourage the body’s own natural functions, the lack of which has been linked to chronic illness, delayed wound healing, and even cancer development.
Waveform
The waveform of a machine describes the shape the pulses of electromagnetic energy make as they enter and leave the body. Although there are, arguably, a limitless number of waveforms available, the most common waveforms are the sine, square, and saw tooth waveforms. A sine wave has the sharp lift and sharp drop often associated with heart rate monitors, while square waves are marked by a sharp leap, a steady period, and a sharp drop. Saw tooth waveforms climb slowly, reach their peak, and plummet shortly after.
Frequency
The frequency of a machine is the number of times a pulse of energy is delivered to the body in a second. Frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz), and there are high frequency and low-frequency machines, with low-frequency machines being the most commonly used home machines, and high-frequency machines being more common in therapy clinics and hospital settings. Frequency is an important component of PEMF therapy, because it demonstrates precisely how much energy is going into the body, and measures how much of that energy is delivered in a session.
Intensity
The intensity of a machine describes the strength of the pulses being delivered to the body, and may be best described as the power of a machine. Like frequency, there are low intensity machines and high intensity machines, which are similarly tied to home machines and professional machines.
The Healthy Wave Mat
Healthy Wave mats come in several different forms, but for the sake of thoroughly evaluating the incredible offering the Healthy Wave boasts, we will focus on the Healthy Wave Multi-Wave mat. The Healthy Wave Multi-Wave mat is a unique in the field of PEMF therapy mats, because it combines five different forms of therapy. When used in conjunction with one another, advocates have suggested that each individual therapy is enhanced, making it a truly powerful therapy and wellness device. The types of therapy included are PEMF, photon, infrared, negative ion, and crystal therapies. All of these components make up the 5-therapy mat, and each of them can be used to target general health and wellness in addition to specific, targeted goals.
Healthy Wave Waveform
Unlike many other machines, that rely on a patented waveform, or focus entirely on a single waveform, the Healthy Wave Multi-Wave mat allows users to select one of two waveforms: a square or sine waveform. These are two of the three most commonly studied (and consequently, commonly supported) waveforms used in PEMF therapy machines. The square waveform is the waveform that was evaluated in the famed NASA PEMF therapy study, in which PEMF therapy was identified as an effective treatment for a variety of issues, including depression and bone damage.
The ability to select your preferred waveform is one of the many reasons the Healthy Wave Multi-Wave mat is considered superior to its peers: it has a truly enormous amount of customizability available to users, which allows them to target numerous ailments all within the same machine. Trial and error and user research will help identify which of the two available waveforms is best for the ailment you are working to treat.
Healthy Wave Frequency
The Healthy Wave Multi-Wave mat offers a similarly customizable frequency level, offering 25 different settings to select from. The Multi-Wave mat allows users to select their frequency, from 1-25 Hz, and increases in single-Hz increments. This particular frequency was selected for its adherence to the basic range most commonly evaluated in PEMF therapy research studies and clinical trials. The oft-mentioned NASA study, for instance, utilized a 10 Hz frequency in its research, which is included in the many options available to Healthy Wave users.
Healthy Wave Multi-Wave Intensity
In keeping with its dedication to customizability, the Healthy Wave Multi-Wave mat provides its users with the option to choose from 5 different intensity settings. Intensity for this mat climbs up to 3,000 mG, and intensity is selected by choosing a percentage of that 3,000 mG: options include 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. These settings, too, can be changed from day to day and to suit different needs, either through trial and error or through research regarding your particular needs and goals.
Warranties, Guarantees, and Certifications
Although most PEMF therapy companies offer some sort of warranty or guarantee, many of these companies also include caveats and qualifiers that can easily diminish the possible returns you’ll receive if the mat does not work for you, or void your warranty or guarantee altogether. Healthy Wave mat is not counted among these PEMF therapy companies, and offers one of the best warranty and guarantee options in the industry.
Healthy Wave Warranties
The Healthy Wave Multi-Wave mat comes equipped with a tiered warranty system that provides a 2 and 5-year warranty for the mat and controller, respectively. The warranty system is designed in this way to ensure users are not seeing a sudden drop in services, as the control box is the most expensive item to replace, while the mat sees more wear and tear, and does not cost as much to replace, should it become damaged.
Unlike many PEMF mat companies, the Healthy Wave company does not charge a restocking fee for returns, and does not require an intensive process to simply return a mat. While some PEMF therapy companies will seem to actively try to prevent returns by making the process as complicated and involved as possible, Healthy Wave does not, and returns require only that you pay the cost of shipping to have the item sent back after the first year of the total 5-year warranty.
Healthy Wave also has a trade in program, which allows you to trade your mat in for 50% of its value toward the purchase of a new mat. This trade in program exists for the life of your mat, and is a great way to make sure you are consistently up-to-date for all of your PEMF therapy needs.
Healthy Wave Guarantee
Like many wellness products, Healthy Wave mats also come equipped with a guarantee. Healthy Wave offers a 45-day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, or you need to return your mat during the first 45 days of use (excluding user damage), you can do so for the cost of shipping and receive a full refund for the cost of your machine. This is a great way to try Healthy Wave’s products without a great deal of risk, should the machine not work out for you. Healthy Wave’s generous money-back guarantee is one of the many things that sets it apart from other PEMF machines, as many PEMF therapy companies will make processing a return extremely difficult to diminish the likelihood of users actually following through. Healthy Wave guarantees require only that you show proof of purchase (including the date) in whatever way you can, and that you ship the item back.
Certifications
Healthy Wave mats possess both FDA registration and the CE marking, which certify Healthy Wave’s products as safe to use in both the United States and Europe. Crystals found within the Multi-Wave mat are also certified, in order to ensure that you are not receiving false crystals made of plastic or another fake product, and the electrical system used by Healthy Wave mats has been certified by the FCC. Each of these certifications can help users rest assured that they are using a safe and thoroughly tested product.
Conclusion
Although increasing numbers of companies are developing PEMF therapy machines, Healthy Wave mats have consistently shown a dedication to improving PEMF therapy designs, and creating machines that offer far more than just PEMF, in order to capitalize on all of the best available therapies known today. From their most basic PEMF mat model, to the high-performance Multi-Wave mat, Healthy Wave offers an ideal machine in the form of high customization, generous warranties and guarantees, and strong customer service. If you are looking for a mat that provides different therapies in one, and offers a way to target multiple ailments at your own pace, the Healthy Wave Multi-Wave may just be the machine for you. Regularly rated as one of the best mats currently on the market, Multi-Wave mats provide the best in PEMF, infrared, and crystal therapy, in a device that is easy to use and affordable.
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.