2025 PEMF Buyers Guide - Abridged Version
19 Points Critical Points To Look for When Shopping for PEMF therapy device
19 Points Critical Points To Look for When Shopping for PEMF therapy device
PEMF therapy started gaining popularity in the last two decades especially after it appeared on the Dr. Oz show in 2011 where it was featured as an amazing breakthrough in pain management. The reason PEMF popularity is growing so fast is that it flat out works wonders on helping the body to heal itself of just about everything! But what is PEMF? And what are the best PEMF devices to invest in for your health? In this buyers guide we will explore all the most important things you need to know BEFORE you buy any PEMF device.
PEMF stands for Pulsed ElectroMagnetic Fields and unlike static magnets, PEMFs are magnetic fields that pulse, vibrate, oscillate or change with time. PEMF technology works by using this changing magnetic field to send healing energy throughout your body to recharge cells, improve circulation, lower pain and inflammation and stimulate healing, regeneration and recovery.
PEMF stands for Pulsed ElectroMagnetic Fields and unlike static magnets, PEMFs are magnetic fields that pulse, vibrate, oscillate or change with time. PEMF technology works by using this changing magnetic field to send healing energy throughout your body to recharge cells, improve circulation, lower pain and inflammation and stimulate healing, regeneration and recovery.
More and more people are seeing and believing that PEMFs work, but it is not a matter of belief or placebo alone. The therapeutic use of PEMF is rooted in both science and history, with over 30,000 articles spanning 60+ years on the effects of PEMF on biology and thousands of university controlled studies conducted over a wide range of health conditions and physical processes. In fact PEMF therapy has FDA approval for several conditions including pain, edema, non-union fractures, bone growth/regeneration, wound healing, urinary incontinence, depression & anxiety, cervical fusion patients, and even brain cancer. Also NASA has studied PEMF to show its effects on tissue repair, bone regeneration and stimulating the growth of stem cells. All of this makes PEMF therapy one of the most clinically researched and validated forms of all energy medicine modalities.
As beneficial as PEMF therapy CAN BE, without a scientifically and research-based buyers guide like this, it is a tremendous challenge to know exactly what kind of PEMF device to buy as there are many conflicting opinions from different companies, influencers and so-called experts which is a testament to this problem. Our experience is that many influencers that promote various PEMF products (doctors included) hardly understand the real science and research of PEMF. You rarely hear what are truly the most important parameters in a PEMF device backed by science and clinically accurate data. The most important facets of a PEMF signal are NOT simple frequency and intensity numbers as is usually talked about and listed, but rather the slew rate, pulse rise time, polarity, repetition rate, spectral content, low EMF, quality engineering, and the incredibly important coil design along with other points we'll explore in this buyers guide. It is our hope to shine a guiding light on what to look for in PEMF therapy devices and also what to avoid. This guide is based on PEMF clinical research, physics, scientific testing, and proper engineering insights so you can get a PEMF device that really works! We will begin with a brief introduction to the two most important physics concepts behind PEMF - Ampere's and Faraday's Laws.
As beneficial as PEMF therapy CAN BE, without a scientifically and research-based buyers guide like this, it is a tremendous challenge to know exactly what kind of PEMF device to buy as there are many conflicting opinions from different companies, influencers and so-called experts which is a testament to this problem. Our experience is that many influencers that promote various PEMF products (doctors included) hardly understand the real science and research of PEMF. You rarely hear what are truly the most important parameters in a PEMF device backed by science and clinically accurate data. The most important facets of a PEMF signal are NOT simple frequency and intensity numbers as is usually talked about and listed, but rather the slew rate, pulse rise time, polarity, repetition rate, spectral content, low EMF, quality engineering, and the incredibly important coil design along with other points we'll explore in this buyers guide. It is our hope to shine a guiding light on what to look for in PEMF therapy devices and also what to avoid. This guide is based on PEMF clinical research, physics, scientific testing, and proper engineering insights so you can get a PEMF device that really works! We will begin with a brief introduction to the two most important physics concepts behind PEMF - Ampere's and Faraday's Laws.
The Basic Science Behind PEMF - Ampere's Law and Faraday's Law
Before we talk about Slew rate, we need to briefly understand two principles of physics that governs PEMF is which is Ampere's law and Faraday's Law. First there is Ampere's law which states that a electrical current flowing through a wire creates a circulating magnetic field, with the direction of the field dictated by the right hand rule. With regards to PEMF, something amazing happens when you bend that current carrying wire into a circular loop: all the magnetic field lines reinforce each other in the middle and you get a North-South pole magnetic field just like a bar magnet!
Before we talk about Slew rate, we need to briefly understand two principles of physics that governs PEMF is which is Ampere's law and Faraday's Law. First there is Ampere's law which states that a electrical current flowing through a wire creates a circulating magnetic field, with the direction of the field dictated by the right hand rule. With regards to PEMF, something amazing happens when you bend that current carrying wire into a circular loop: all the magnetic field lines reinforce each other in the middle and you get a North-South pole magnetic field just like a bar magnet!
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What makes PEMF different from static magnets (or DC electromagnets) is that PEMFs PULSE, CHANGE or VARY the magnetic field. Common examples of PEMF signals that change or vary with time are sine waves, square waves and sawtooth or triangle waves. Now while it is ok to use Gauss or Tesla to measure and describe static magnets, or static DC electromagnets (like junk year magnets), this is NOT what we should be using to describe PEMFs! Sadly many so-called PEMF experts focus on getting more Gauss or Tesla magnetic field intensity.
Faraday's Law to the rescue
Faraday's Law is the main physics principle we need to best describe PEMF. Faraday's law states that a changing or "pulsed" magnetic field induces a circulating EMF (measured in Volts (V)). EMF (ElectroMotive FORCE) is the energy or "push" that drives electric current through a circuit, or a nearby conductor LIKE YOUR BODY. And YES, the human body is a very good conductor of electricity! Faraday's Law is literally the "EMF" in PEMF or the transferred energy from PEMF! That is, how quickly the "P" or "Pulsing" in PEMF reaches its peak intensity dictates how much EMF or energy is transferred to your body! Rapid rise and fall PEMF signals (like square waves) provide more EMF, OOMPH or ENERGY to your cells than slow rising PEMF waves (like sine waves). We can quantify Faraday's law applied to PEMF by a number called the Slew Rate, which is the most important parameter in PEMF! As such, it is important that you understand what this means, because the effectiveness of a PEMF device depends on it! For some, I would say their very life depends on it! So drum roll please - let's now look at the 19 critically important points you need to know beginning with an in depth discussion of Slew rate which is the first AND most important parameter that needs to be just right for PEMF to really work!
Faraday's Law to the rescue
Faraday's Law is the main physics principle we need to best describe PEMF. Faraday's law states that a changing or "pulsed" magnetic field induces a circulating EMF (measured in Volts (V)). EMF (ElectroMotive FORCE) is the energy or "push" that drives electric current through a circuit, or a nearby conductor LIKE YOUR BODY. And YES, the human body is a very good conductor of electricity! Faraday's Law is literally the "EMF" in PEMF or the transferred energy from PEMF! That is, how quickly the "P" or "Pulsing" in PEMF reaches its peak intensity dictates how much EMF or energy is transferred to your body! Rapid rise and fall PEMF signals (like square waves) provide more EMF, OOMPH or ENERGY to your cells than slow rising PEMF waves (like sine waves). We can quantify Faraday's law applied to PEMF by a number called the Slew Rate, which is the most important parameter in PEMF! As such, it is important that you understand what this means, because the effectiveness of a PEMF device depends on it! For some, I would say their very life depends on it! So drum roll please - let's now look at the 19 critically important points you need to know beginning with an in depth discussion of Slew rate which is the first AND most important parameter that needs to be just right for PEMF to really work!
Point #1: Look for a PEMF Device with Research-Proven Slew Rate (The most important parameter in PEMF).
Based on Faraday's Law, slew rate is a quantitative measurement of how quickly the magnetic field changes with time and it is measured in Tesla/second (T/s) or Gauss/second (G/s). As shown in the graphic here, slew rate is essentially the peak magnetic field intensity (B) divided by the rise time (t). The rise time is the time a PEMF signal takes to reach its peak (the shorter or "faster" the rise time, the greater the slew rate)! This gives us rise/run (dB/dt) or the slope of the PEMF signal as seen on an oscilloscope. A high slew rate means that the PEMF is pulsing or changing quickly and has a steeper slope which means more energy is transferred to your body, tissues and cells which then translates into giving you more energy, less pain, and better health/healing.
Based on Faraday's Law, slew rate is a quantitative measurement of how quickly the magnetic field changes with time and it is measured in Tesla/second (T/s) or Gauss/second (G/s). As shown in the graphic here, slew rate is essentially the peak magnetic field intensity (B) divided by the rise time (t). The rise time is the time a PEMF signal takes to reach its peak (the shorter or "faster" the rise time, the greater the slew rate)! This gives us rise/run (dB/dt) or the slope of the PEMF signal as seen on an oscilloscope. A high slew rate means that the PEMF is pulsing or changing quickly and has a steeper slope which means more energy is transferred to your body, tissues and cells which then translates into giving you more energy, less pain, and better health/healing.
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A familiar example of slew rate is found in credit credit card readers. As you probably know from experience, if you don't swipe your card fast enough it will not register. Why? The slew rate dictates that the faster you swipe the magnetic stripe on your credit card, the more current is generated in the credit card reader. Also, you can think of Slew rate as a way to wirelessly transfer energy or power from one circuit (primary coil) to another (secondary coil) like power transformers do in electrical power lines.
A great example of this is wireless charging plates or Qi chargers that can charge your smartphone, tablet or smart watch without any cables or wires using a changing magnetic field! Here you have a primary coil in the charging plate that creates a magnetic field that changes with time. This changing magnetic field (slew rate) creates an EMF that induces an electrical current in a secondary coil in your phone or smart device. This current then charges up the battery! You can charge electrical devices wirelessly with a high enough slew rate.
Through Faraday's law of induction, high slew rate (HSR) PEMF creates an EMF or voltage that charges up your tissue body and cells, in a way similar to wireless charging plates and pads charging your phone and smart devices. It does this by driving charged particles (positive and negative ions like Na+, K+, Cl-, Ca++, Mg++, etc.) into little circuits in the organs, tissues and most importantly around the cells (inside of electrons in copper wires like in electronic devices). At the cellular level these eddy currents circulate charges around the membranes in the cell and mitochondria (in ways that mimic exercise) which increases cellular voltage and ATP production! Verily, life and health is driven by the flow and storage of charge and high slew rate PEMF acts like a whole body battery recharger recharging your 37 trillion cells. These healing micro-currents are fundamentally why PEMF works for just about everything from A-Z. Next we'll briefly summarize all the fundamental ways that high slew rate PEMF induced microcurrents help to "jump start" healing and regeneration (as well as shutting off pain and inflammation). Below is a brief list of some of the most fundamental benefits of using a high slew rate PEMF device and why it helps the body to heal itself of just about anything!
Here are just a few research-proven Benefits that High Slew Rate (HSR) PEMF induces healing Microcurrents and increases Bioelectricity, Energy and Health in the Body:
Here are just a few research-proven Benefits that High Slew Rate (HSR) PEMF induces healing Microcurrents and increases Bioelectricity, Energy and Health in the Body:
- HSR PEMF increases electron flow in the mitochondria leading to increased ATP energy [1-5,89]
- HSR PEMF acts like a whole body battery recharger recharging cells (TMP) & bodily organs (TEP) [6-8]
- HSR PEMF creates movements of charges around the cells that mimic exercise [9]
- HSR PEMF is a powerful antioxidant and has research proven anti-inflammatory effects [10-17]
- HSR PEMF increases energy & immunity around injured areas to stimulate wound healing [18-35]
- HSR PEMF stimulates production of nitric oxide which improves microcirculation & oxygenation [36-40]
- HSR PEMF acts like whole body needle-less acupuncture stimulating the flow of energy in the meridians
- HSR PEMF stimulates Bone & Joints via the PiezoElectric to help to strengthen bones and joints! [41-46]
- HSR PEMF stimulates various growth factors and stem cells helping the body to heal and regenerate from just about everything! [47-49]
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What is the Best Signal to Create a High Slew Rate?
Now that we have glimpsed many of the fundamental healing benefits of high slew rate (HSR) PEMF, let's now look to research to uncover the best slew rate to use. If we look at the history of PEMF research, Probably the most notable study that highlighted the importance of slew rate (dB/dt) was the landmark NASA study by Thomas Goodwin in 2003. NASA found Slew Rate or dB/dt was the most important parameter in PEMF and decided on 10 Hz because of rich history and connection to Earth Geomagnetic Frequency. NASA found a high slew rate PEMF up-regulated 160 growth factors and regenerative genes and increased neuronal stem cells by 400%. [50] NASA confirmed that fast-changing magnetic fields with a high slew rate (like delta or square waves) create more induced energy than slowly changing magnetic fields (like sine or triangle waves) with a low slew rate. Steady or static magnetic fields induce zero energy.
Now that we have glimpsed many of the fundamental healing benefits of high slew rate (HSR) PEMF, let's now look to research to uncover the best slew rate to use. If we look at the history of PEMF research, Probably the most notable study that highlighted the importance of slew rate (dB/dt) was the landmark NASA study by Thomas Goodwin in 2003. NASA found Slew Rate or dB/dt was the most important parameter in PEMF and decided on 10 Hz because of rich history and connection to Earth Geomagnetic Frequency. NASA found a high slew rate PEMF up-regulated 160 growth factors and regenerative genes and increased neuronal stem cells by 400%. [50] NASA confirmed that fast-changing magnetic fields with a high slew rate (like delta or square waves) create more induced energy than slowly changing magnetic fields (like sine or triangle waves) with a low slew rate. Steady or static magnetic fields induce zero energy.
Quantifying the Best Slew Rates Based on 18 Successful Slew Rate Studies [10-120 T/s]
The astute reader might ask if there is a limit to slew rate efficacy on energy, healing and regeneration on the human (or animal) organism? Should we just keep increasing the slew rate as high as possible? The answer is definitively NO as you might suspect. Studies clearly show that the slew rate and corresponding induced current must be "just right" or the healing benefits start to decline [51-53].
So we want a high slew rate signal, but one that is not TOO high! This leads us to a biphasic dose recommendation for PEMF or a Goldilocks zone of just the right slew rate! Based on a thorough investigation, we found 18 successful slew rate PEMF studies that can help guide us in what the best slew rates to use. The successful slew rates from these clinical studies (from low to high - all in T/s or Tesla/Second) are 5.3, 5.3, 7.9, 9.5, 10, 15, 15.3, 17, 17, 17, 17, 18, 30, 30, 30, 30, 90T/s and 120 T/s. The average slew rate of these studies was 28.8 T/s which can be a guiding light and a ballpark number for the ideal slew rate to use. It is noteworthy to add that these 16 studies covered a wide range of tissue healing and regeneration from nerve to muscle to bone to joint/cartilage which you can see summarized in the chart shown here [54-69.3].
There are a few notable slew rate studies that can further fine tune this target range. First, the rabbit bone study of Robert Dennis [54], showed very conclusively that 10 T/s worked better than 5 T/s for healing rabbit bones. And furthermore there were four PhysioStim HSR (HSR = high slew rate) studies [55-58] showing that PhysioStim's newer HSR unit with a slew rate of 30 T/s outperformed their original model (which had a slew rate of 10 T/s) in ALL FOUR STUDIES (PhysioStim is a FDA approved PEMF device for bone stimulation and healing non-union fractures). One of these PhysioStim studies also looked at 300 T/s and 100 T/s and found inhibitory effects in 300 T/s and also that 100 T/s was not statistically significantly better than 30 T/s [55]. One final study worth noting is an inflammation study done by Robert Dennis showing that 120 T/s worked best for inflammation but 160 T/s was no better [59].
#17 - 2018 - 15.3 T/s worked - Tendon to bone healing
#18 - 1984 - 7.9 T/s worked - Tendinitis
Average Slew Rate 26.9 T/s
The astute reader might ask if there is a limit to slew rate efficacy on energy, healing and regeneration on the human (or animal) organism? Should we just keep increasing the slew rate as high as possible? The answer is definitively NO as you might suspect. Studies clearly show that the slew rate and corresponding induced current must be "just right" or the healing benefits start to decline [51-53].
So we want a high slew rate signal, but one that is not TOO high! This leads us to a biphasic dose recommendation for PEMF or a Goldilocks zone of just the right slew rate! Based on a thorough investigation, we found 18 successful slew rate PEMF studies that can help guide us in what the best slew rates to use. The successful slew rates from these clinical studies (from low to high - all in T/s or Tesla/Second) are 5.3, 5.3, 7.9, 9.5, 10, 15, 15.3, 17, 17, 17, 17, 18, 30, 30, 30, 30, 90T/s and 120 T/s. The average slew rate of these studies was 28.8 T/s which can be a guiding light and a ballpark number for the ideal slew rate to use. It is noteworthy to add that these 16 studies covered a wide range of tissue healing and regeneration from nerve to muscle to bone to joint/cartilage which you can see summarized in the chart shown here [54-69.3].
There are a few notable slew rate studies that can further fine tune this target range. First, the rabbit bone study of Robert Dennis [54], showed very conclusively that 10 T/s worked better than 5 T/s for healing rabbit bones. And furthermore there were four PhysioStim HSR (HSR = high slew rate) studies [55-58] showing that PhysioStim's newer HSR unit with a slew rate of 30 T/s outperformed their original model (which had a slew rate of 10 T/s) in ALL FOUR STUDIES (PhysioStim is a FDA approved PEMF device for bone stimulation and healing non-union fractures). One of these PhysioStim studies also looked at 300 T/s and 100 T/s and found inhibitory effects in 300 T/s and also that 100 T/s was not statistically significantly better than 30 T/s [55]. One final study worth noting is an inflammation study done by Robert Dennis showing that 120 T/s worked best for inflammation but 160 T/s was no better [59].
#17 - 2018 - 15.3 T/s worked - Tendon to bone healing
#18 - 1984 - 7.9 T/s worked - Tendinitis
Average Slew Rate 26.9 T/s
Further fine tuning of this "Goldilocks Zone" of slew rate comes from biophysics whereby a slew rate of at least 4 T/s is needed to compete with thermal noise [70]. This confirms many unsuccessful studies done with slew rates <5 T/s that we have seen. On the other end of the spectrum the upper limits come from both research mentioned above AND international safety standards. But perhaps even more significant in creating an upper bound is the IEC (international electrotechnology commission) safety standards that cap the upper bound to a safe slew rate at 200 T/s [71]. The most generous range for effective and safe high slew rate PEMF is 5-200 T/s, but the good evidence just mentioned further narrows that range from 10-120 T/s. If you had to pick a number, I would go with a slew rate close to 30 T/s as it is not only the approximate average of these 18 studies, but also physiostim showed with not one, but four studies, that 30 T/s outperformed 10 T/s! While these recommendations are by no means definitive, they are based on the solid research of 16 published slew rate studies covering a range of tissues and conditions [54-69].
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Point #2: Proper Coils for Full Body Coverage, Deep Penetration and Effective Local Application
Slew rate is perhaps the most important parameter of a PEMF signal, but properly engineered coils of a PEMF system will dictate how much area of your body a high slew rate PEMF signal will cover AND how deeply the PEMF signal will penetrate through that entire area. Because of this, I would say the coils are the second most important factor to consider in a PEMF device. As with slew rate, the importance of the coils is hardly talked about enough in the PEMF industry even though it is critically important for effective PEMF therapy! The coils are like the speakers or transmitting antennas of a PEMF device. Just like sound, where high quality speakers broadcast high fidelity music, in PEMF high quality coils will broadcast a high fidelity PEMF signal. Would you buy a high quality stereo with cheap speakers? Of course not.
Slew rate is perhaps the most important parameter of a PEMF signal, but properly engineered coils of a PEMF system will dictate how much area of your body a high slew rate PEMF signal will cover AND how deeply the PEMF signal will penetrate through that entire area. Because of this, I would say the coils are the second most important factor to consider in a PEMF device. As with slew rate, the importance of the coils is hardly talked about enough in the PEMF industry even though it is critically important for effective PEMF therapy! The coils are like the speakers or transmitting antennas of a PEMF device. Just like sound, where high quality speakers broadcast high fidelity music, in PEMF high quality coils will broadcast a high fidelity PEMF signal. Would you buy a high quality stereo with cheap speakers? Of course not.
The Importance of Getting a FULL Body Mat - Don't settle for a small cheap localized applicator only.
Before we get into what the best types of coils are for delivering high slew rate PEMF, it is important to mention the importance of getting a full body mat PEMF device and NOT to settle for small portable devices. Why? Because the human body is holistic and dynamically interconnected from head to toe. There are 4 main fractal branching networks tying the entire physical body from head to toe and from skin to bone marrow into an integrated whole: These are the circulatory, lymphatic, nervous and meridian (primo vascular) systems which cover your whole body. To fully activate these life nourishing fractal trees, you absolutely need a full body mat with a wide area of coverage (and deep penetration). Plus you want to energize and recharge all your 37 trillion cells that make up your whole body!
Even for local injuries you still want a full body mat. For example, say you badly injure or break your ankle. You may think a small local PEMF applicator is enough. However consider that in order to heal and repair the injury, your body must deliver blood, nutrients, oxygen, immunity, nerve impulses/neuropeptides, hormones, growth factors etc. from across the body (ie heart, brain, lungs, digestive system) down to the ankle and then remove all the waste products to get rid of through the organs of elimination. To fully activate the healing of your ankle requires a FULL BODY MAT! Get it? Now once you have done your full body mat session and activated all these bodily systems, then you use a local applicator to further focus the PEMF energy on say the ankle or the area of disease or injury. This is the best 1-2 punch in using PEMF optimally to heal your body!! So you definitely want local applicators, but don't skip your daily full body PEMF mat session! Let's now explore 3 critical PEMF coil buyers guide tips in PEMF devices, the first two relate to full body mat PEMF and the third to the local applicators.
Before we get into what the best types of coils are for delivering high slew rate PEMF, it is important to mention the importance of getting a full body mat PEMF device and NOT to settle for small portable devices. Why? Because the human body is holistic and dynamically interconnected from head to toe. There are 4 main fractal branching networks tying the entire physical body from head to toe and from skin to bone marrow into an integrated whole: These are the circulatory, lymphatic, nervous and meridian (primo vascular) systems which cover your whole body. To fully activate these life nourishing fractal trees, you absolutely need a full body mat with a wide area of coverage (and deep penetration). Plus you want to energize and recharge all your 37 trillion cells that make up your whole body!
Even for local injuries you still want a full body mat. For example, say you badly injure or break your ankle. You may think a small local PEMF applicator is enough. However consider that in order to heal and repair the injury, your body must deliver blood, nutrients, oxygen, immunity, nerve impulses/neuropeptides, hormones, growth factors etc. from across the body (ie heart, brain, lungs, digestive system) down to the ankle and then remove all the waste products to get rid of through the organs of elimination. To fully activate the healing of your ankle requires a FULL BODY MAT! Get it? Now once you have done your full body mat session and activated all these bodily systems, then you use a local applicator to further focus the PEMF energy on say the ankle or the area of disease or injury. This is the best 1-2 punch in using PEMF optimally to heal your body!! So you definitely want local applicators, but don't skip your daily full body PEMF mat session! Let's now explore 3 critical PEMF coil buyers guide tips in PEMF devices, the first two relate to full body mat PEMF and the third to the local applicators.
Coil Tip#1: Make sure to get a PEMF device with Coils on a Full Body Mat that cover a large AREA ACROSS the whole body!
First, we want to make sure there is enough coil area to cover the whole body AND that the energy is evenly distributed across the coils. The challenge with many larger coils or loops is you can get a hot spot right on top of the current in the coil and less energy in the middle if the coil is too big. However, there is a solution where you can use a special capacitive layer across a large coil to more evenly spread the energy (more on this in point #10). Using larger tightly wound flat coils with a dense array (limiting dead spots) is the next best thing but this brings up engineering issues as we'll look at later.
Sadly most companies use coils that are too small and/or spaced too far apart. This leads to poor penetration with small coils and hot and cold spots when the coils are spaced too far apart OR the coils are not properly engineered and/or not properly tuned with the PEMF circuit/driver. Some companies try to boast they have a lot of coils when in reality they are small coils with too much dead space and/or not enough penetration depth. A few companies may have large coils, but they are not properly engineered so they don't evenly distribute the pulsing magnetic field (again there is a hot spot on top of the coil and a dead spot in the middle if too large).
First, we want to make sure there is enough coil area to cover the whole body AND that the energy is evenly distributed across the coils. The challenge with many larger coils or loops is you can get a hot spot right on top of the current in the coil and less energy in the middle if the coil is too big. However, there is a solution where you can use a special capacitive layer across a large coil to more evenly spread the energy (more on this in point #10). Using larger tightly wound flat coils with a dense array (limiting dead spots) is the next best thing but this brings up engineering issues as we'll look at later.
Sadly most companies use coils that are too small and/or spaced too far apart. This leads to poor penetration with small coils and hot and cold spots when the coils are spaced too far apart OR the coils are not properly engineered and/or not properly tuned with the PEMF circuit/driver. Some companies try to boast they have a lot of coils when in reality they are small coils with too much dead space and/or not enough penetration depth. A few companies may have large coils, but they are not properly engineered so they don't evenly distribute the pulsing magnetic field (again there is a hot spot on top of the coil and a dead spot in the middle if too large).
Coil Tip #2 Make sure to get a PEMF device with large enough coils and sufficient slew rates to have a deep enough penetration into the body.
Penetration depth is a measure of how deep light, electric fields, magnetic fields, PEMFs or any electromagnetic radiation can penetrate into a material (like the human body in the case of PEMF). It is defined as the depth at which the intensity of the field inside the material falls to 1/e (about 37%) of its original value at (or more properly, just beneath) the surface. Note: The number e is a mathematical constant approximately equal to 2.71828 that is the base of the natural logarithm and exponential functions.
For PEMF, the penetration depth depends on the SIZE of the PEMF coil! This comes from the Biot Savart law where you can calculate the penetration depth is almost exact the radius of the coil used (.97*Radius ≈ Radius). So you can see that larger coils have greater penetration due to the larger radius (imagine a hemisphere of energy over a PEMF coil like in the image below). A large coil will have a larger dome or hemisphere of energy above it which translates into deeper penetration. Bigger coils at the same given intensity have a deeper penetration depth than smaller coils.
Penetration depth is a measure of how deep light, electric fields, magnetic fields, PEMFs or any electromagnetic radiation can penetrate into a material (like the human body in the case of PEMF). It is defined as the depth at which the intensity of the field inside the material falls to 1/e (about 37%) of its original value at (or more properly, just beneath) the surface. Note: The number e is a mathematical constant approximately equal to 2.71828 that is the base of the natural logarithm and exponential functions.
For PEMF, the penetration depth depends on the SIZE of the PEMF coil! This comes from the Biot Savart law where you can calculate the penetration depth is almost exact the radius of the coil used (.97*Radius ≈ Radius). So you can see that larger coils have greater penetration due to the larger radius (imagine a hemisphere of energy over a PEMF coil like in the image below). A large coil will have a larger dome or hemisphere of energy above it which translates into deeper penetration. Bigger coils at the same given intensity have a deeper penetration depth than smaller coils.
#3) Make sure to get a PEMF device that includes local applicators for various spot treatments on specific issues.
Along with having a good full body mat with properly engineered large coils that uniformly cover the mat, it is also essential to have effective local applicators to treat localized issues. Most people that get a PEMF device have some kind of localized pain or localized health issue (for example low back pain or knee pain). For these localized problems, you want to use a good localized applicator to focus a high slew rate PEMF signal on that spot. The best local applicators are large and smaller pads or loops (first two images shown), and also a good helmholtz coil, loop or pad.
Along with having a good full body mat with properly engineered large coils that uniformly cover the mat, it is also essential to have effective local applicators to treat localized issues. Most people that get a PEMF device have some kind of localized pain or localized health issue (for example low back pain or knee pain). For these localized problems, you want to use a good localized applicator to focus a high slew rate PEMF signal on that spot. The best local applicators are large and smaller pads or loops (first two images shown), and also a good helmholtz coil, loop or pad.
Note: Helmholz coils (or butterfly coils) are two coils that are placed in the same direction on both sides of small joints or even like a sandwich with your whole body. Or you can twist a single loop into a figure 8 and this creates helmholtz "coils" like the third image above shows. Helmholtz coils are unique in that the energy does not decrease within a radius distance apart assuring penetration of high slew rate PEMF all the way through the area of the body that is "sandwiched". Helmholtz coils are PERFECT for small joints like the feet, ankles, knees, wrists, hands, elbows and shoulders to get the best healing effect assuming you have a high slew rate and effective signal. Local applicators when done right are easy to use while watching TV or a movie, listening to music or a podcast, or reading a book so if you have a localized issue, it is easy and convenient to get extra time in which speeds up the healing.
Point #3: Using the Right Repetition Rate Frequencies based on brain entrainment.
Now what is confusing about frequency in the PEMF industry is that for complex signals frequency is usually listed at what is called the Repetition Rate. Repetition Rate in PEMF is basically the frequency for non-sinusoidal signals (ie square waves and sawtooth waves) that repeat themselves. So like the basic definition of frequency it is the number of times the PEMF wave or signal repeats itself each second (cycles per second), but with say a square wave, it would be the number of square pulses per second. This is why this repetition rate is also descriptively called pulses per second (or PPS for short). In the image shown here (which is a 1 second window) the repetition rate for each of these pulses would be 3 Hertz. This is because there are three pulses per second for each of these waveforms. Can you see that?
While the slew rate is the most important healing parameter of a PEMF signal, the pulse repetition rate or pulses per second is also extremely important and sadly many PEMF companies get this WRONG! It is important because research suggests that the overall repetition rate or pulses per second (PPS) seems to interact with the central nervous system for brain and body entrainment.
Now what is confusing about frequency in the PEMF industry is that for complex signals frequency is usually listed at what is called the Repetition Rate. Repetition Rate in PEMF is basically the frequency for non-sinusoidal signals (ie square waves and sawtooth waves) that repeat themselves. So like the basic definition of frequency it is the number of times the PEMF wave or signal repeats itself each second (cycles per second), but with say a square wave, it would be the number of square pulses per second. This is why this repetition rate is also descriptively called pulses per second (or PPS for short). In the image shown here (which is a 1 second window) the repetition rate for each of these pulses would be 3 Hertz. This is because there are three pulses per second for each of these waveforms. Can you see that?
While the slew rate is the most important healing parameter of a PEMF signal, the pulse repetition rate or pulses per second is also extremely important and sadly many PEMF companies get this WRONG! It is important because research suggests that the overall repetition rate or pulses per second (PPS) seems to interact with the central nervous system for brain and body entrainment.
Pulsing a PEMF device at a regular (coherent) rate can have a dramatic effect if the repetition rate finds a natural resonance in the system upon which it impinges. Good PEMF systems use repetition rate frequencies that help to synchronize the body and brain with the circadian rhythms of the body like for example Beta (alert) frequencies in the day and theta/delta (sleep) frequencies at night. It does this through brainwave entrainment. Brainwave entrainment refers to the observation that brainwaves (large-scale electrical oscillations in the brain) will naturally synchronize to the rhythm of periodic external stimuli like PEMF repetition rate frequencies (other examples include flickering lights, speech, music, and tactile stimuli all at specific frequencies).
Good PEMF Repetition rates to use (which you can slowly increase and decrease in a PEMF program):
15-23 Hz Beta or active alert stimulation (14.3 and 20.8 Schumann /Beta)*
7.8-13 Hz for Alpha (especially good are 7.8 for Schumann Resonance and 10 Hz because so much research)*
1-5 Hz for Sleep
If you want to keep your high slew rate signal on one frequency, 10 Hz is probably as good as any as it is one of the best researched - if not THE best researched - repetition rate frequency! For local application this is a great choice and it is my go-to repetition rate for localized pain, injuries and any problems in general.
*Note*: Brain entrainment research has shown that the best way to wake the brain up in the morning and to help put the brain to sleep at night is gradually. For the morning, ideally you want to start at a lower frequency and gradually go higher and at night you want to start at a moderate frequency gradually and go lower (instead of just using one frequency which is more of a shock or jolt).
Good PEMF Repetition rates to use (which you can slowly increase and decrease in a PEMF program):
15-23 Hz Beta or active alert stimulation (14.3 and 20.8 Schumann /Beta)*
7.8-13 Hz for Alpha (especially good are 7.8 for Schumann Resonance and 10 Hz because so much research)*
1-5 Hz for Sleep
If you want to keep your high slew rate signal on one frequency, 10 Hz is probably as good as any as it is one of the best researched - if not THE best researched - repetition rate frequency! For local application this is a great choice and it is my go-to repetition rate for localized pain, injuries and any problems in general.
*Note*: Brain entrainment research has shown that the best way to wake the brain up in the morning and to help put the brain to sleep at night is gradually. For the morning, ideally you want to start at a lower frequency and gradually go higher and at night you want to start at a moderate frequency gradually and go lower (instead of just using one frequency which is more of a shock or jolt).
Point #4: Make sure to have a High Slew Rate Signal with the Right Pulse Duration (rise time)
There is also a physiological importance of the duration of the pulse during which the slew rate is sustained in the research-proven slew rate ranges we looked at in Point #1 (10-120 T/s). The pulse width (also called pulse duration, rise time or ramp time) is defined by the duration of the electrical current pulse sent by the PEMF control unit that is applied to the coils which is the time the PEMF is "on". Or stated another way, it is the time needed for a PEMF signal to from minimum to peak intensity. “Peak” is the peak magnetic field measured for each magnetic pulse, measured in Gauss (G) or Tesla (T).
There is also a physiological importance of the duration of the pulse during which the slew rate is sustained in the research-proven slew rate ranges we looked at in Point #1 (10-120 T/s). The pulse width (also called pulse duration, rise time or ramp time) is defined by the duration of the electrical current pulse sent by the PEMF control unit that is applied to the coils which is the time the PEMF is "on". Or stated another way, it is the time needed for a PEMF signal to from minimum to peak intensity. “Peak” is the peak magnetic field measured for each magnetic pulse, measured in Gauss (G) or Tesla (T).
For a given intensity, narrower pulses or shorter pulse durations will have a higher slew rate and usually more biological effect. In this example here, you have two PEMF pulses with the SAME INTENSITY, but the example on the left has a rise time that is twice as fast as the example on the right, and hence the slew rate will be DOUBLE!! This means double the energy transferred to your body. This example drives home that intensity is only of secondary importance in PEMF. The key is having a fast changing magnetic field. So, you will get optimal performance with very narrow pulses, but not TOO NARROW (which is usually not the case). Based on good research by Robert Dennis and studies on orthopedic tissue development, the pulse of a good high slew rate PEMF device needs to be sustained for a minimum of 80 μs (μs = microseconds) [73-78]. It is simple physics why you would not want - for example - shorter nanosecond pulses with PEMF because that is not enough "on" time for the slew rate to induce any appreciable current.
Usually the problem with PEMF devices is the pulse duration is too long like in simple and ineffective SINE WAVE PEMF signals. Unfortunately a large percentage of PEMF devices on the market - especially the cheaper ones - use a simplistic sine wave. There are three reasons you do not want a PEMF device with too long of a rise rise, First, slow rise times (or long pulse durations) are less effective because any PEMF pulse excessively longer like over 1ms (ms = millisecond) is usually too slow of a rise time to create a therapeutic slew rate. Secondly, longer pulse durations (>1 millisecond) are inefficient and wasteful. This is much less efficient and less effective as research has shown that these longer rise times do not work as well (and there is a waste of energy). Thirdly and finally pulse durations that are too long coupled with high intensity leads to less safe slew rates that use shorter pulse durations. This is why the IEC (international electrotechnology commission) deems slew rates with short pulse durations to be safer than longer pulse durations [79].
Usually the problem with PEMF devices is the pulse duration is too long like in simple and ineffective SINE WAVE PEMF signals. Unfortunately a large percentage of PEMF devices on the market - especially the cheaper ones - use a simplistic sine wave. There are three reasons you do not want a PEMF device with too long of a rise rise, First, slow rise times (or long pulse durations) are less effective because any PEMF pulse excessively longer like over 1ms (ms = millisecond) is usually too slow of a rise time to create a therapeutic slew rate. Secondly, longer pulse durations (>1 millisecond) are inefficient and wasteful. This is much less efficient and less effective as research has shown that these longer rise times do not work as well (and there is a waste of energy). Thirdly and finally pulse durations that are too long coupled with high intensity leads to less safe slew rates that use shorter pulse durations. This is why the IEC (international electrotechnology commission) deems slew rates with short pulse durations to be safer than longer pulse durations [79].
Point #5: Look for a High Slew Rate PEMF with a Balanced Bipolar (or Biphasic) Pulse train
Once we have a good PEMF signal with the right clinically backed slew rate, it is also important to make sure that the induced currents and energy is balanced and not too overstimulating. This is accomplished using a bipolar or biphasic squarewave or pulse. The goal of doing this is to prevent cellular fatigue, accommodation/habituation, and overall to maximize the biological effect.
The two left images below illustrate two different examples of how a squarewave pulse train can be engineered in a PEMF device with what is called bipolarity (also referred to as biphasic pulses). Bipolar or biphasic square waves are ones that reverse directions such that the squarewave will be above and below the x-axis in a balanced way. This bipolarity can also be a series of (+) unipolar square wave pulses above the x-axis and then an equal number of (-) unipolar squarewave pulses below (like middle image), There are more complex ways to create a balanced bipolar signal but the key is the total number of (+) pulses above the x-axis is equal or roughly equal to the total number of (-) pulses below the x-axis such that when you integrate the total energy or induced current it comes to NET zero.
A unipolar (or monophasic) square wave (below right) will always have the signal or current moving in the same direction which results in square waves that are always pointing "North" or "South". On an oscilloscope this will be seen as square wave pulses always above or always below the x-axis (see image top). When you integrate the total area, a unipolar square wave keeps increasing and increasing built up charge and current which can be too overstimulating and create cellular fatigue and lower efficacy.
Once we have a good PEMF signal with the right clinically backed slew rate, it is also important to make sure that the induced currents and energy is balanced and not too overstimulating. This is accomplished using a bipolar or biphasic squarewave or pulse. The goal of doing this is to prevent cellular fatigue, accommodation/habituation, and overall to maximize the biological effect.
The two left images below illustrate two different examples of how a squarewave pulse train can be engineered in a PEMF device with what is called bipolarity (also referred to as biphasic pulses). Bipolar or biphasic square waves are ones that reverse directions such that the squarewave will be above and below the x-axis in a balanced way. This bipolarity can also be a series of (+) unipolar square wave pulses above the x-axis and then an equal number of (-) unipolar squarewave pulses below (like middle image), There are more complex ways to create a balanced bipolar signal but the key is the total number of (+) pulses above the x-axis is equal or roughly equal to the total number of (-) pulses below the x-axis such that when you integrate the total energy or induced current it comes to NET zero.
A unipolar (or monophasic) square wave (below right) will always have the signal or current moving in the same direction which results in square waves that are always pointing "North" or "South". On an oscilloscope this will be seen as square wave pulses always above or always below the x-axis (see image top). When you integrate the total area, a unipolar square wave keeps increasing and increasing built up charge and current which can be too overstimulating and create cellular fatigue and lower efficacy.
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We want a bipolar or biphasic signal because the net ion flux leading to more and more built up charge can be damaging to tissues and implants. The result is that balanced bipolar pulses are not only more effective, but also less harmful . One study showed bipolar pulses of rapid balanced polarity reversal allows stimulation without net charge flux in the tissue, which is very beneficial for preventing galvanic degradation of implanted metals or electrodes, and may also prevent charge-related collateral tissue damage from inductively-coupled tissue stimulation systems, such as PEMF [59[. This degradation in implants that can result from unipolar or monophasic pulses can be easily translated to your tissues too, so there is proof in engineering that bipolarity pulses are safer and more effective for your tissues too!
Point #6: Spectral Content or Bandwidth of a PEMF signal
When looking at a PEMF signal you can look at it with two eyes. One eye is in the time domain with an oscilloscope and the other eye is in the frequency domain with a spectrum analyzer or a FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) on a good oscilloscope. When you look at a PEMF signal in the time domain you can see the signal shape, calculate its slew rate, and also see the repetition rate or pulses per second. When you look at a PEMF signal in the frequency domain you see all the frequencies that make up the signal and their relative amplitudes. From this you can see the most dominant frequencies present and define what is called the spectral content.
The spectral content or bandwidth of a PEMF signal is an important parameter that is sometimes cited in PEMF research studies along with intensity, slew rate, repetition rate, etc. It is simply the total range or bandwidth of frequencies that are present in a signal at a significant enough level. Slew rate and spectral content are in some ways inverses of each other in that if you have a high slew rate, you are going to correspondingly have a broad spectrum of frequencies. This comes from basic Fourier mathematics (Fourier Transform) where higher slew rate PEMF pulses which have steeper leading edges will have a broader range of frequencies. A typical well engineered square wave will have a spectral content from roughly 0-30,000 Hz which is still in alignment with the higher frequencies found in nature (sferics, whistlers and tweeks).
When looking at a PEMF signal you can look at it with two eyes. One eye is in the time domain with an oscilloscope and the other eye is in the frequency domain with a spectrum analyzer or a FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) on a good oscilloscope. When you look at a PEMF signal in the time domain you can see the signal shape, calculate its slew rate, and also see the repetition rate or pulses per second. When you look at a PEMF signal in the frequency domain you see all the frequencies that make up the signal and their relative amplitudes. From this you can see the most dominant frequencies present and define what is called the spectral content.
The spectral content or bandwidth of a PEMF signal is an important parameter that is sometimes cited in PEMF research studies along with intensity, slew rate, repetition rate, etc. It is simply the total range or bandwidth of frequencies that are present in a signal at a significant enough level. Slew rate and spectral content are in some ways inverses of each other in that if you have a high slew rate, you are going to correspondingly have a broad spectrum of frequencies. This comes from basic Fourier mathematics (Fourier Transform) where higher slew rate PEMF pulses which have steeper leading edges will have a broader range of frequencies. A typical well engineered square wave will have a spectral content from roughly 0-30,000 Hz which is still in alignment with the higher frequencies found in nature (sferics, whistlers and tweeks).
You want a broad spectrum of frequencies (or wide bandwidth) because every cell has different resonant frequencies as do most tissues and organs. A high slew rate or good broadband PEMF signal delivers a wide range of resonant frequencies to energize and power ALL the cells, organelles, chemical reactions, tissues, organs and organism, because they all have different resonant frequencies focused mainly around 0-200 Hz (see chart shown here). Also because natural frequencies of the earth are in the range of 0-30,000 Hz so ideally we want to keep our spectral content in this range. Note: frequencies in the thousands of Hz are needed to create higher slew rates as slew rate comes from higher frequencies, but not TOO HIGH! So we definitely want to AVOID unhealthy higher radio frequencies (in the MHz range- millions of Hz).
What that means is that good PEMF devices with a wide spectrum of frequencies are like an energetic multivitamin, charging, healing and regenerating ALL the body's tissues and cells AT ONCE. Cheaper PEMF Systems and PEMF systems with only sine waves have both a poor slew rate and a very limited frequency spectrum which translates into inadequate biological effects. The analogy is like taking "just" vitamin A and vitamin D and nothing else vs taking a full spectrum multivitamin with A, B1,B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, E, D, and a full spectrum of minerals, etc.
What that means is that good PEMF devices with a wide spectrum of frequencies are like an energetic multivitamin, charging, healing and regenerating ALL the body's tissues and cells AT ONCE. Cheaper PEMF Systems and PEMF systems with only sine waves have both a poor slew rate and a very limited frequency spectrum which translates into inadequate biological effects. The analogy is like taking "just" vitamin A and vitamin D and nothing else vs taking a full spectrum multivitamin with A, B1,B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, E, D, and a full spectrum of minerals, etc.
Low Intensity "Resonance Only" PEMF vs Medium Intensity High Slew Rate PEMF - Which is Better?
Low intensity "resonance only" systems can indirectly help you to heal because they help to relax the body and create balance. So they are good for promoting relaxation for the stressed and better sleep for the insomniacs. And they also do help to promote healing and regeneration, but in our experience, higher slew rate absolutely works for all that too AND it is A LOT better for PAIN relief, reducing inflammation, and healing FASTER than low intensity "resonance only". This is because high slew rate signals induce MORE healing microcurrents that shut off pain and inflammation and heal better and faster as the many slew rate studies show.
Also high slew rate PEMF is even better at resonance than "resonance only" PEMF. A good example to more easily understand why high slew rate signals have powerful resonant effects is imagine having several tuning forks lined up like pictured here. In this analogy, the tuning forks are like your tissues and cells. Having a high slew rate is like banging or ringing all the tuning forks at once with a long rod. Banging all the tuning forks at once will drive oscillations at ALL the tuning forks to vibrate at their natural resonant frequencies all at once! The low intensity "resonance only" approach to PEMF is like trying to use individual tuning forks to ring each one separately. The problem with low intensity "resonance only" is you need to know the precise frequencies in order to create these precise resonances! And because conditions and people in general are so different, the resonances can vary from disease to disease and from person to person even. Plus there is absolutely no research consensus on the best frequencies to use anyway! The beauty of a high slew rate PEMF devices is you get the best of both worlds because the sharper the rise in a PEMF signal, the higher the slew rate AND the broader the spectrum of frequencies which results in better resonance than even "resonance only" PEMF!
Low intensity "resonance only" systems can indirectly help you to heal because they help to relax the body and create balance. So they are good for promoting relaxation for the stressed and better sleep for the insomniacs. And they also do help to promote healing and regeneration, but in our experience, higher slew rate absolutely works for all that too AND it is A LOT better for PAIN relief, reducing inflammation, and healing FASTER than low intensity "resonance only". This is because high slew rate signals induce MORE healing microcurrents that shut off pain and inflammation and heal better and faster as the many slew rate studies show.
Also high slew rate PEMF is even better at resonance than "resonance only" PEMF. A good example to more easily understand why high slew rate signals have powerful resonant effects is imagine having several tuning forks lined up like pictured here. In this analogy, the tuning forks are like your tissues and cells. Having a high slew rate is like banging or ringing all the tuning forks at once with a long rod. Banging all the tuning forks at once will drive oscillations at ALL the tuning forks to vibrate at their natural resonant frequencies all at once! The low intensity "resonance only" approach to PEMF is like trying to use individual tuning forks to ring each one separately. The problem with low intensity "resonance only" is you need to know the precise frequencies in order to create these precise resonances! And because conditions and people in general are so different, the resonances can vary from disease to disease and from person to person even. Plus there is absolutely no research consensus on the best frequencies to use anyway! The beauty of a high slew rate PEMF devices is you get the best of both worlds because the sharper the rise in a PEMF signal, the higher the slew rate AND the broader the spectrum of frequencies which results in better resonance than even "resonance only" PEMF!
Point #7: Intensity in PEMF - 6 Big Myths of High Intensity PEMF
Hopefully by now it should be clear that high intensity is totally unnecessary for therapeutic slew rates and penetration into the body. But because high intensity devices are promoted so heavily, in this section we will systematically debunk all the main myths of high intensity PEMF companies, doctors and influencers. Saying intensity or Gauss is the most important thing in PEMF is like saying volume is the most important thing in music which of course is absurd. Yes a certain volume is needed to hear and enjoy the music, but if you crank it up too high, it is unpleasant and even uncomfortable to listen to.
Before I begin, I do want to say most high intensity PEMF devices seem to work fairly well because they will - almost by default - generate a high slew rate. The problem is they are overpriced, inefficient and NOT as effective for healing as the medium range intensities that are connected to research-proven slew rates from clinical studies. Plus there are many studies that show a certain amount of induced micro-current is needed for optimal healing but too much becomes inhibitory [55,81,82]. But high intensity does seem particularly well suited for analgesia or symptomatic pain relief, and also helping with range of motion. Also it can help with muscle stimulation that seems to be beneficial in conditions like urinary incontinence AND it is used to treat depression and other mental health issues in a way to replace electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). So high intensity does have a place in a clinic, but as I have seen over the years, lower to medium intensity PEMF devices ALSO help with pain relief and range of motion (and mental health), PLUS they have the huge advantage of healing your body faster. So while I am not against using high intensity for shorter periods of time or intermittently, I am against the bad science, myths and lies that some high intensity PEMF influencers promote that say you need high intensity for various INCORRECT reasons like the inverse square law.
Hopefully by now it should be clear that high intensity is totally unnecessary for therapeutic slew rates and penetration into the body. But because high intensity devices are promoted so heavily, in this section we will systematically debunk all the main myths of high intensity PEMF companies, doctors and influencers. Saying intensity or Gauss is the most important thing in PEMF is like saying volume is the most important thing in music which of course is absurd. Yes a certain volume is needed to hear and enjoy the music, but if you crank it up too high, it is unpleasant and even uncomfortable to listen to.
Before I begin, I do want to say most high intensity PEMF devices seem to work fairly well because they will - almost by default - generate a high slew rate. The problem is they are overpriced, inefficient and NOT as effective for healing as the medium range intensities that are connected to research-proven slew rates from clinical studies. Plus there are many studies that show a certain amount of induced micro-current is needed for optimal healing but too much becomes inhibitory [55,81,82]. But high intensity does seem particularly well suited for analgesia or symptomatic pain relief, and also helping with range of motion. Also it can help with muscle stimulation that seems to be beneficial in conditions like urinary incontinence AND it is used to treat depression and other mental health issues in a way to replace electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). So high intensity does have a place in a clinic, but as I have seen over the years, lower to medium intensity PEMF devices ALSO help with pain relief and range of motion (and mental health), PLUS they have the huge advantage of healing your body faster. So while I am not against using high intensity for shorter periods of time or intermittently, I am against the bad science, myths and lies that some high intensity PEMF influencers promote that say you need high intensity for various INCORRECT reasons like the inverse square law.
High Intensity Myth #1: The Inverse Square FLAW
The problem with many who promote high intensity PEMF, is that they don't understand physics - namely electromagnetism - hardly at all. The most common cited error is using the inverse square as a justification to needing more intensity or power to penetrate into the tissue. This inverse square FLAW is a BIG mistake that shows an utter lack of understanding of very basic electrodynamics. When you use the CORRECT equation, which is the Biot Savart Law (Below Right) which depends on the intensity of the current (source) and BOTH the distance away and radius of source coil. The inverse square law only depends on the source intensity and distance away!
One popular PEMF expert (we'll call him Dr. P) uses a chart based on the inverse square law (wrong equation for PEMF) in all his books, articles, websites and podcasts for all PEMF devices. The big problem is that he both miscalculates the inverse square law and FAILS to realize all PEMF devices use different size coils which means you would need a separate chart for each size coils because as the drop offs depend on the size of the coil, not just the current intensity. Large coils penetrate deeper than small coils, again as we mentioned the penetration depth is about equal to the radius of the coil which means you cannot have a chart like below right! His fallacious table results in errors up to 10,000% or MORE for large coils!
The problem with many who promote high intensity PEMF, is that they don't understand physics - namely electromagnetism - hardly at all. The most common cited error is using the inverse square as a justification to needing more intensity or power to penetrate into the tissue. This inverse square FLAW is a BIG mistake that shows an utter lack of understanding of very basic electrodynamics. When you use the CORRECT equation, which is the Biot Savart Law (Below Right) which depends on the intensity of the current (source) and BOTH the distance away and radius of source coil. The inverse square law only depends on the source intensity and distance away!
One popular PEMF expert (we'll call him Dr. P) uses a chart based on the inverse square law (wrong equation for PEMF) in all his books, articles, websites and podcasts for all PEMF devices. The big problem is that he both miscalculates the inverse square law and FAILS to realize all PEMF devices use different size coils which means you would need a separate chart for each size coils because as the drop offs depend on the size of the coil, not just the current intensity. Large coils penetrate deeper than small coils, again as we mentioned the penetration depth is about equal to the radius of the coil which means you cannot have a chart like below right! His fallacious table results in errors up to 10,000% or MORE for large coils!
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High Intensity Myth #2:The "More is Better Myth"
"Small is Powerful, Less is More."
- Ross Adey
This second very common myth and misconception within the PEMF community and natural healing in general, is the mistaken notion that "more is better" which translates into not understanding human biology and the biophysics of living organisms. This in part stems from a "More is Better" mentality that is very pervasive in Western society. Our "supersize me", "give me more" mentality has gotten us into a lot of trouble. People think if small is good, then large must be better. If one pill is good, two must be better. If one dose works, then two doses will work even better. The problem with the "More is Better" approach is that usually there is a price to pay for using substances or energies that are too high and not natural.
"Small is Powerful, Less is More."
- Ross Adey
This second very common myth and misconception within the PEMF community and natural healing in general, is the mistaken notion that "more is better" which translates into not understanding human biology and the biophysics of living organisms. This in part stems from a "More is Better" mentality that is very pervasive in Western society. Our "supersize me", "give me more" mentality has gotten us into a lot of trouble. People think if small is good, then large must be better. If one pill is good, two must be better. If one dose works, then two doses will work even better. The problem with the "More is Better" approach is that usually there is a price to pay for using substances or energies that are too high and not natural.
As we explored in the section on Slew Rate you need just the right range of both intensities and pulse durations to "bake" the perfect square wave or fast changing PEMF pulse. Many PEMF studies show that results diminish with slew rates that are both too low AND slew rates that are too high. We want a PEMF device with slew rates roughly in the range of 10-160 T/s if we want to be clinically accurate and provide the right signal to turn off pain and inflammation AND to stimulate healing and regeneration.
Almost always high intensity PEMF creates slew rates that are either TOO HIGH or not ideal with slow rising pulse times. The best intensities to use in making clinically, and research-proven slew rates is more of a medium intensity range of 1-10mT.
Almost always high intensity PEMF creates slew rates that are either TOO HIGH or not ideal with slow rising pulse times. The best intensities to use in making clinically, and research-proven slew rates is more of a medium intensity range of 1-10mT.
High Intensity Myth #3: The "Research Supports High Intensity" Myth
Another myth that some so-called experts promote is that there is more research with high intensity working. This is wildly inaccurate!! Evidence of this fallacy comes from a meta-analysis of 3249 PEMF experiments and 92 publications which convincingly dispels this myth [80]. The truth is only about 3-4% of PEMF studies are over 1000 Gauss (100 mT) which is considered high intensity. A vast majority of successful PEMF studies that list intensity (around 75%) used intensities between 10-100 Gauss (1-10 mT). This range of 1-10 mT is generally considered to be a moderate or medium intensity level. Based on this meta-analysis about 20% of the PEMF studies were in this low intensity range (<1 mT), so there is even considerably more research with very low intensity than there is with high intensity! This is a fact!! High intensity has the LEAST amount of research to back it up compared to both low and medium intensity systems.
Another myth that some so-called experts promote is that there is more research with high intensity working. This is wildly inaccurate!! Evidence of this fallacy comes from a meta-analysis of 3249 PEMF experiments and 92 publications which convincingly dispels this myth [80]. The truth is only about 3-4% of PEMF studies are over 1000 Gauss (100 mT) which is considered high intensity. A vast majority of successful PEMF studies that list intensity (around 75%) used intensities between 10-100 Gauss (1-10 mT). This range of 1-10 mT is generally considered to be a moderate or medium intensity level. Based on this meta-analysis about 20% of the PEMF studies were in this low intensity range (<1 mT), so there is even considerably more research with very low intensity than there is with high intensity! This is a fact!! High intensity has the LEAST amount of research to back it up compared to both low and medium intensity systems.
High Intensity Myth #4: The "High Intensity Heals you Faster" Myth
Another myth we have heard many times is that high intensity heals you faster than lower intensity. But there is no evidence to support this fallacious claim, actually it is just the opposite as 4 FDA approved PEMF bone stimulator devices have shown. The misunderstanding arises because high intensity does have a powerful analgesic effect, like pain killers and steroid injections. High intensity is also good for improving range of motion. So while this does have a place in a clinical setting, symptomatic relief does not necessarily translate into better or faster healing. In fact most studies show that lower and medium intensity PEMF heals better and faster than high intensity as evidenced by all the successful slew rate studies we quoted and the two studies [55,81,82]; none of which were using intensities higher than 160 Gauss (16 mT).
Another myth we have heard many times is that high intensity heals you faster than lower intensity. But there is no evidence to support this fallacious claim, actually it is just the opposite as 4 FDA approved PEMF bone stimulator devices have shown. The misunderstanding arises because high intensity does have a powerful analgesic effect, like pain killers and steroid injections. High intensity is also good for improving range of motion. So while this does have a place in a clinical setting, symptomatic relief does not necessarily translate into better or faster healing. In fact most studies show that lower and medium intensity PEMF heals better and faster than high intensity as evidenced by all the successful slew rate studies we quoted and the two studies [55,81,82]; none of which were using intensities higher than 160 Gauss (16 mT).
High Intensity Myth #5: You Need to "Feel Something" for PEMF to Work
Along with the "More is Better" myth one of the biggest misunderstandings in PEMF, energy medicine and holistic healing in general is that you have to "feel something" for it to be working. While feeling something might be desirable in some situations like a therapeutic massage or an infrared sauna where you can FEEL the massage and the heat respectively, in more subtle energy medicine and nutrition that is not always the case. For example you might not feel the benefits of taking a good multivitamin right away, while you definitely do feel a five hour energy because of the caffeine. Does that mean the five hour energy works better - heck no!
Sadly the average American is impatient and wants instant gratification , hence the popularity of high intensity PEMF devices. But this ignores all the subtle ways and mechanisms that the body uses to heal itself. In fact, the signaling pathways triggered by good PEMF can take several hours to "kick in", and healing itself can take some time. However, people that are sensitive enough CAN feel low to medium intensity, but it is more subtle like gentle tingles, subtle energy movement, warmth and a feeling of relaxation - the body just goes Ahhhhhh!
High intensity PEMF is much more pronounced and you undeniably feel it because usually the motor threshold is reached and your muscles start to involuntarily twitch (called fasciculation). Again, feeling PEMF does not necessarily translate into actual healing, and medium intensity - high slew rate PEMF - has been clinically shown to be better than both low and high intensity to stimulate healing and regeneration.
Along with the "More is Better" myth one of the biggest misunderstandings in PEMF, energy medicine and holistic healing in general is that you have to "feel something" for it to be working. While feeling something might be desirable in some situations like a therapeutic massage or an infrared sauna where you can FEEL the massage and the heat respectively, in more subtle energy medicine and nutrition that is not always the case. For example you might not feel the benefits of taking a good multivitamin right away, while you definitely do feel a five hour energy because of the caffeine. Does that mean the five hour energy works better - heck no!
Sadly the average American is impatient and wants instant gratification , hence the popularity of high intensity PEMF devices. But this ignores all the subtle ways and mechanisms that the body uses to heal itself. In fact, the signaling pathways triggered by good PEMF can take several hours to "kick in", and healing itself can take some time. However, people that are sensitive enough CAN feel low to medium intensity, but it is more subtle like gentle tingles, subtle energy movement, warmth and a feeling of relaxation - the body just goes Ahhhhhh!
High intensity PEMF is much more pronounced and you undeniably feel it because usually the motor threshold is reached and your muscles start to involuntarily twitch (called fasciculation). Again, feeling PEMF does not necessarily translate into actual healing, and medium intensity - high slew rate PEMF - has been clinically shown to be better than both low and high intensity to stimulate healing and regeneration.
High Intensity Myth #6: The Myth That You Need to $Pay a Lot to Get Effective PEMF
The sixth reason is a profit-driven agenda to sell high intensity PEMF devices, which are both more expensive to the consumer and also more profitable to the manufacturers, influencers, affiliates and resellers. Pair that with the fact that people in general tend to think if something is more expensive, that it works better. So some high intensity companies prey on consumers with this idea, because the cold hard truth is that you make more money selling expensive high intensity. Research-proven, safe and therapeutic slew rates can be reached much more affordably than high intensity. As we previously discussed, you only need intensities in the ballpark of 1-10 mT (10 to 100 gauss) to create clinically proven slew rates.
The sixth reason is a profit-driven agenda to sell high intensity PEMF devices, which are both more expensive to the consumer and also more profitable to the manufacturers, influencers, affiliates and resellers. Pair that with the fact that people in general tend to think if something is more expensive, that it works better. So some high intensity companies prey on consumers with this idea, because the cold hard truth is that you make more money selling expensive high intensity. Research-proven, safe and therapeutic slew rates can be reached much more affordably than high intensity. As we previously discussed, you only need intensities in the ballpark of 1-10 mT (10 to 100 gauss) to create clinically proven slew rates.
Conclusions on PEMF Intensity - The Middle Way
Most PEMF studies support a middle of the road PEMF intensity of 1-10 mT. And while Slew rate is THE most important parameter NOT Intensity, having a certain amount of intensity is important because slew rate is peak intensity divided by the rise time. Based on the slew rate research we have looked at it appears that this middle of the road intensity (1-10 mT) is indeed used the most along with a fast rising square wave or sawtooth signal. And based on IEC safety standards, it is clear that using a fast rising PEMF signal with a lower intensity is safer than a slow rising PEMF signal with a high intensity. So based on all this research evidence IN ADDITION to recommending a Slew rate between 10 T/s - 120 T/s, we would also recommend - ideally - a magnetic field intensity in the Goldilocks zone of PEMF research between 1-10mT using a fast rise time like around 100 μs. More intensity might be ok to use in the short term, but more is certainly NOT better!
Most PEMF studies support a middle of the road PEMF intensity of 1-10 mT. And while Slew rate is THE most important parameter NOT Intensity, having a certain amount of intensity is important because slew rate is peak intensity divided by the rise time. Based on the slew rate research we have looked at it appears that this middle of the road intensity (1-10 mT) is indeed used the most along with a fast rising square wave or sawtooth signal. And based on IEC safety standards, it is clear that using a fast rising PEMF signal with a lower intensity is safer than a slow rising PEMF signal with a high intensity. So based on all this research evidence IN ADDITION to recommending a Slew rate between 10 T/s - 120 T/s, we would also recommend - ideally - a magnetic field intensity in the Goldilocks zone of PEMF research between 1-10mT using a fast rise time like around 100 μs. More intensity might be ok to use in the short term, but more is certainly NOT better!
Point #8: Avoid Unhealthy and Un-natural Frequencies found in many PEMF devices
Beginning in the late 1800s with the invention of the telegraph, electricity, and radio; we have been increasingly exposed to unnatural or man-made EMFs. But it's really been only in the last 20-30 years that these unnatural EMFs have expanded exponentially due to modern electronics, the wireless revolution and a strong push for energy efficiency.
Before the mid to late 1800s, the earth was in a very pristine electromagnetic state with simply the Schumann Resonances, geomagnetic, and lightning sferics/whistlers/tweeks frequencies present, all of which are under 30,000 Hz. After that there was a big gap in the spectrum up to the infrared, visible and UV light from the sun.
With the electrification of the world, there has been a very unfortunate "filling in" of the electromagnetic spectrum over the past century and a half with our ever-expanding electrical and telecommunications grid exponentially increasing the amount the electrosmog now present in our environment in the form of electrical power, dirty electricity, military low frequency (HAARP), long wave radio, AM, FM short wave radio, TV, radar, cell phone towers, WIFI, bluetooth, smart meters, etc etc. And it's only getting worse with the rise of 5G and towers on every corner. According to EMFnews.org, we are exposed to 100 million times more electrosmog than our grandparents!
Beginning in the late 1800s with the invention of the telegraph, electricity, and radio; we have been increasingly exposed to unnatural or man-made EMFs. But it's really been only in the last 20-30 years that these unnatural EMFs have expanded exponentially due to modern electronics, the wireless revolution and a strong push for energy efficiency.
Before the mid to late 1800s, the earth was in a very pristine electromagnetic state with simply the Schumann Resonances, geomagnetic, and lightning sferics/whistlers/tweeks frequencies present, all of which are under 30,000 Hz. After that there was a big gap in the spectrum up to the infrared, visible and UV light from the sun.
With the electrification of the world, there has been a very unfortunate "filling in" of the electromagnetic spectrum over the past century and a half with our ever-expanding electrical and telecommunications grid exponentially increasing the amount the electrosmog now present in our environment in the form of electrical power, dirty electricity, military low frequency (HAARP), long wave radio, AM, FM short wave radio, TV, radar, cell phone towers, WIFI, bluetooth, smart meters, etc etc. And it's only getting worse with the rise of 5G and towers on every corner. According to EMFnews.org, we are exposed to 100 million times more electrosmog than our grandparents!
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3 Main Categories of Electrosmog or EMF Pollution you want to avoid or minimize
1) 60 Hz Power frequency electric and magnetic fields from AC electricity
2) Dirty Electricity - surges and spikes of electromagnetic energy that travel along power lines and wires where clean conventional AC electricity should be.
3) High Frequency Radio and microwave radiation, mostly from wireless technologies
1) 60 Hz Power frequency electric and magnetic fields from AC electricity
2) Dirty Electricity - surges and spikes of electromagnetic energy that travel along power lines and wires where clean conventional AC electricity should be.
3) High Frequency Radio and microwave radiation, mostly from wireless technologies
PEMF vs EMF
While harmful EMFs can negatively affect the body’s natural functions, therapeutic PEMFs act in supportive ways, enhancing cellular energy and overall health. In fact, good PEMF devices actually PROTECT and RESTORE the body from the effects of harmful EMFs by increasing cellular antioxidants making your cells, tissues, organs and body stronger and more resilient!
The Science Behind the Differences Between EMF and PEMF
The energy and frequencies in good PEMF devices is qualitatively different from the frequencies in electromagnetic fields (EMFs) or electromagnetic waves in that they are closed loop fields and don't radiate away. The energy of a good PEMF device stays attached to the coils much like a magnetic field stays attached to a bar magnet (only PEMFs vibrate or pulse while static magnetic fields are unchanging) . Also, like static magnets, good PEMF devices have very coherent fields where the field lines are approximately going in the same direction in the middle of the coil. Harmful EMFs are radiating and incoherent (all directions) electromagnetic waves of various unnatural frequencies.
While harmful EMFs can negatively affect the body’s natural functions, therapeutic PEMFs act in supportive ways, enhancing cellular energy and overall health. In fact, good PEMF devices actually PROTECT and RESTORE the body from the effects of harmful EMFs by increasing cellular antioxidants making your cells, tissues, organs and body stronger and more resilient!
The Science Behind the Differences Between EMF and PEMF
The energy and frequencies in good PEMF devices is qualitatively different from the frequencies in electromagnetic fields (EMFs) or electromagnetic waves in that they are closed loop fields and don't radiate away. The energy of a good PEMF device stays attached to the coils much like a magnetic field stays attached to a bar magnet (only PEMFs vibrate or pulse while static magnetic fields are unchanging) . Also, like static magnets, good PEMF devices have very coherent fields where the field lines are approximately going in the same direction in the middle of the coil. Harmful EMFs are radiating and incoherent (all directions) electromagnetic waves of various unnatural frequencies.
When PEMF can be have potentially harmful levels of EMF/Electrosmog
While PEMF in general is a clean, healthy and therapeutic form of energy medicine (one of the BEST), many PEMF devices on the market have measurable electrosmog, so it is important to be aware of this while shopping for a PEMF device. That is, there are many PEMF devices on the market that have intensities or frequencies that are so high that they DO start to radiate unfavorable high frequency electromagnetic waves. Especially bad are most high intensity devices that have both high intensity and high frequencies (many times in the mid to high MHz which are close to FM radio frequencies )which will certainly create incoherent radiating fields. Besides high frequency you also want to avoid dirty electricity and 60 Hz powerline frequencies which takes us now to the worst devices in all of PEMF that literally have all 3 forms of Electrosmog - The Cheap Chinese gemstone PEMF mats.
While PEMF in general is a clean, healthy and therapeutic form of energy medicine (one of the BEST), many PEMF devices on the market have measurable electrosmog, so it is important to be aware of this while shopping for a PEMF device. That is, there are many PEMF devices on the market that have intensities or frequencies that are so high that they DO start to radiate unfavorable high frequency electromagnetic waves. Especially bad are most high intensity devices that have both high intensity and high frequencies (many times in the mid to high MHz which are close to FM radio frequencies )which will certainly create incoherent radiating fields. Besides high frequency you also want to avoid dirty electricity and 60 Hz powerline frequencies which takes us now to the worst devices in all of PEMF that literally have all 3 forms of Electrosmog - The Cheap Chinese gemstone PEMF mats.
Point #9: Avoid Cheap Chinese Gemstone Multi-therapy Mats - 8 Reasons Not to Buy!!
There are dozens and dozens AND DOZENS
of cheap Chinese gemstone mats that are flooding the PEMF market and very aggressively marketing as multi-therapy claiming to have PEMF + far infrared + negative ions + red light therapy. But they are not really PEMF at all but more EMF/Electrosmog as they simply pulse the 60 Hz from the power company through very cheap coils. These mats give the entire PEMF industry a bad name!
First and most importantly, how do you identify these cheap Chinese mats so you don't get scammed and suckered into buying junk? It's simple. Ask yourself one question: Does the PEMF mat have crystals or gemstones in it? If the answer is yes, move on as there are NO good PEMF devices that have crystals or gemstones. Period! They all are cheaply made by the same handful of Chinese manufacturers and are literally the very bottom of the barrel in PEMF! Let's now explore 8 reasons why these Chinese crystal mats are so bad, so you won't be duped by their their slick marketing and bogus review sites [Note: Any review site ranking these mats #1 is an outright scam and usually the review site is owned by the company or an affiliate selling it].
There are dozens and dozens AND DOZENS
of cheap Chinese gemstone mats that are flooding the PEMF market and very aggressively marketing as multi-therapy claiming to have PEMF + far infrared + negative ions + red light therapy. But they are not really PEMF at all but more EMF/Electrosmog as they simply pulse the 60 Hz from the power company through very cheap coils. These mats give the entire PEMF industry a bad name!
First and most importantly, how do you identify these cheap Chinese mats so you don't get scammed and suckered into buying junk? It's simple. Ask yourself one question: Does the PEMF mat have crystals or gemstones in it? If the answer is yes, move on as there are NO good PEMF devices that have crystals or gemstones. Period! They all are cheaply made by the same handful of Chinese manufacturers and are literally the very bottom of the barrel in PEMF! Let's now explore 8 reasons why these Chinese crystal mats are so bad, so you won't be duped by their their slick marketing and bogus review sites [Note: Any review site ranking these mats #1 is an outright scam and usually the review site is owned by the company or an affiliate selling it].
Reason #1 Not to Buy - They ALL Have a Dismally Low Slew Rate
The first and most important aspect of a PEMF signal is the slew rate. We have tested several of these Chinese mats on their highest frequency and highest intensity setting (again giving them every benefit of the doubt to maximize slew rate) and they ALL have a dismally low slew rates which even on their highest settings was at best was a little over 1 T/s and as low as around 0.4 T/s AND this was only directly above the small cheap coils. When you go a little up or to the left or right of the coils, the slew rates drop off a cliff!
The first and most important aspect of a PEMF signal is the slew rate. We have tested several of these Chinese mats on their highest frequency and highest intensity setting (again giving them every benefit of the doubt to maximize slew rate) and they ALL have a dismally low slew rates which even on their highest settings was at best was a little over 1 T/s and as low as around 0.4 T/s AND this was only directly above the small cheap coils. When you go a little up or to the left or right of the coils, the slew rates drop off a cliff!
As we saw in Point #1 of our buyers guide, we want a PEMF device with a slew rate of AT LEAST 5 T/s to overcome background noise AND to be in alignment with the minimums found in good slew rate research studies. The reason ALL these cheap Chinese gemstone mats have a dismally low slew rate is because ALL of them without exception use a 60 Hz carrier from the power company which means its always a 8.3 millisecond rise time (half period of 60 Hz from valley to peak). So even though the intensity is not bad at least right above the coil (2-10 mT), because it has a dismally slow rise time, it has a LOW SLEW RATE!! Again Slew rate matters, NOT INTENSITY!
Reason #2 Not to Buy: Cheap Rod Ferrite Coils
All these cheap Chinese gemstone mats use rod ferrite coils which give too small of an area of coverage, and a poor penetration depth. On top of that the coils have an inductance which is too high and the magnetic field flux lines coming out sideways (not into the body). These small "dollar store" coils used in all these cheap Chinese gemstone mats meet none of the important criteria for good coils we discussed in Point #2.
All these cheap Chinese gemstone mats use rod ferrite coils which give too small of an area of coverage, and a poor penetration depth. On top of that the coils have an inductance which is too high and the magnetic field flux lines coming out sideways (not into the body). These small "dollar store" coils used in all these cheap Chinese gemstone mats meet none of the important criteria for good coils we discussed in Point #2.
These cheap coils which you can find for less than a dollar on Alibaba are about the worst possible choice for transmitting PEMF signals. They might be good for portable radios and condensing magnetic fields, but they are not suited AT ALL for PEMF therapy! Our measurements of several of these mats showed significant intensities ONLY right above and closely surrounding the coils. And because of the ferrous core has a high inductance, the field gets "sucked" into the core, further diminishing the penetration depth by concentrating the field more inside the coil (this is the OPPOSITE of what you want).These are literally the worst possible coils you could design for PEMF!
Reason #3 Not to Buy: 60 Hz , 60 Hz everywhere
Now we come to perhaps the worst aspect of these cheap Chinese mats - THEY HAVE NO SIGNAL GENERATOR SO THEY SIMPLY SWITCH/PULSE YOUR 60 HZ WALL CURRENT ON AND OFF - what they call frequency is simply how many times the 60 Hz gets turned on and off a second. This is false advertising because they hide from consumers that every program is riding on 60 Hz from the power company because they don’t have a signal generator. What they call frequency is simply the repetition or pulsing rate of the 60 Hz from the power company, which in the image here is about 4 Hz repetition rate (switches 60 Hz on and off 4 times a second) . But on an oscilloscope, you always see the 60 Hz carrier signal. Any engineer or anyone with an oscilloscope can verify this.
Important Note: 60 Hz is ELECTROSMOG EMF and potentially harmful in long term exposure. There are many negative health consequences to pulsing 60 Hz, one of which is that according to at least 3 studies suppresses melatonin production, which is not only the "sleep" hormone, but also the master antioxidant at the cellular level and a power cancer protective (oncostatic) [83-85].
Now we come to perhaps the worst aspect of these cheap Chinese mats - THEY HAVE NO SIGNAL GENERATOR SO THEY SIMPLY SWITCH/PULSE YOUR 60 HZ WALL CURRENT ON AND OFF - what they call frequency is simply how many times the 60 Hz gets turned on and off a second. This is false advertising because they hide from consumers that every program is riding on 60 Hz from the power company because they don’t have a signal generator. What they call frequency is simply the repetition or pulsing rate of the 60 Hz from the power company, which in the image here is about 4 Hz repetition rate (switches 60 Hz on and off 4 times a second) . But on an oscilloscope, you always see the 60 Hz carrier signal. Any engineer or anyone with an oscilloscope can verify this.
Important Note: 60 Hz is ELECTROSMOG EMF and potentially harmful in long term exposure. There are many negative health consequences to pulsing 60 Hz, one of which is that according to at least 3 studies suppresses melatonin production, which is not only the "sleep" hormone, but also the master antioxidant at the cellular level and a power cancer protective (oncostatic) [83-85].
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Reason #4 Not to Buy: Cheap Infrared
The far infrared on all these cheap Chinese mats uses cheap silicon wire which you can get on Alibaba for 10 cents a meter! Measuring the total length of the wire in a couple of these cheap full body mats, it was to be about 18 meters on the average = $1.80 for the far infrared!!! Cheap Cheap Cheap! This is the same cheap heating element found on cheap amazon heating pads! Unlike quality carbon or ceramic infrared heating elements used in quality saunas.
The far infrared on all these cheap Chinese mats uses cheap silicon wire which you can get on Alibaba for 10 cents a meter! Measuring the total length of the wire in a couple of these cheap full body mats, it was to be about 18 meters on the average = $1.80 for the far infrared!!! Cheap Cheap Cheap! This is the same cheap heating element found on cheap amazon heating pads! Unlike quality carbon or ceramic infrared heating elements used in quality saunas.
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Reason #5 Not to Buy: The Great Negative Ion SCAM!!
These cheap Chinese gemstone mats claim (incorrectly) - that when heated - amethyst, obsidian, tourmaline, quartz, jade, yellow clay, etc increase negative ions. This is an absolute SCAM! Using an incredibly high precision Alpha labs negative ion counter and getting expert guidance on how to use it from the President and chief engineer himself at Alpha Labs, there were absolutely ZERO negative ions detected! Bill Lee pHD, owner and lead engineer at Alpha Labs himself did an experiment because he was tired of hearing that crystals emit negative ions, and what he found was that you need a temperature of 1100 degrees Fahrenheit to get any negative ions, but you ended up getting BOTH negative and positive ions! If you really want negative ions with PEMF, you can simply buy an inexpensive negative ion generator on amazon. Anyone Skeptical can Call Alpha Labs and Speak to them directly to confirm this!! YOU CANNOT GET NEGATIVE IONS FROM CRYSTALS!
These cheap Chinese gemstone mats claim (incorrectly) - that when heated - amethyst, obsidian, tourmaline, quartz, jade, yellow clay, etc increase negative ions. This is an absolute SCAM! Using an incredibly high precision Alpha labs negative ion counter and getting expert guidance on how to use it from the President and chief engineer himself at Alpha Labs, there were absolutely ZERO negative ions detected! Bill Lee pHD, owner and lead engineer at Alpha Labs himself did an experiment because he was tired of hearing that crystals emit negative ions, and what he found was that you need a temperature of 1100 degrees Fahrenheit to get any negative ions, but you ended up getting BOTH negative and positive ions! If you really want negative ions with PEMF, you can simply buy an inexpensive negative ion generator on amazon. Anyone Skeptical can Call Alpha Labs and Speak to them directly to confirm this!! YOU CANNOT GET NEGATIVE IONS FROM CRYSTALS!
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Reason #6 Not to Buy: The Red Light Therapy Scam
Some of these cheap mats tout another gimmick - red light therapy. Upon measuring several different brands that had the red light option, I found they were less than 2 mW/cm^2, in some cases even less on par with Christmas tree lights! We used an accurate spectroradiometer (you cannot use solar meters as most reviewers use to deceive). Michael Hamblin of Harvard and other experts in Photobiomodulation (red light) research have shown you need at least 5 mW/cm^2 to be therapeutic [86-88].
Some of these cheap mats tout another gimmick - red light therapy. Upon measuring several different brands that had the red light option, I found they were less than 2 mW/cm^2, in some cases even less on par with Christmas tree lights! We used an accurate spectroradiometer (you cannot use solar meters as most reviewers use to deceive). Michael Hamblin of Harvard and other experts in Photobiomodulation (red light) research have shown you need at least 5 mW/cm^2 to be therapeutic [86-88].
Reason #7 Not to Buy: The Cheap Crystals Scam
Anyone knowledgeable in real gemstone therapy knows you need high clarity pure crystals with little contaminants that are properly cut to be therapeutic. The crystals in these cheap Chinese gemstone PEMF mats are of the lowest quality (see image from Alibaba here). Even worse, these crystals are heavy, hard, uncomfortable and bulky making all these Chinese gemstone PEMF full body mats over 30 pounds (some up to 40 pounds) and they are very uncomfortable to lay on!! Many elderly and physically challenged people that have been duped into buying these mats have complained how difficult it is to move them because of their bulky size and heavy weight.
Anyone knowledgeable in real gemstone therapy knows you need high clarity pure crystals with little contaminants that are properly cut to be therapeutic. The crystals in these cheap Chinese gemstone PEMF mats are of the lowest quality (see image from Alibaba here). Even worse, these crystals are heavy, hard, uncomfortable and bulky making all these Chinese gemstone PEMF full body mats over 30 pounds (some up to 40 pounds) and they are very uncomfortable to lay on!! Many elderly and physically challenged people that have been duped into buying these mats have complained how difficult it is to move them because of their bulky size and heavy weight.
Reason #8 Not to Buy: You can buy the same mats on Alibaba for a tiny fraction of the cost!
The final reason not to buy these Chinese PEMF mats is they are overpriced. Evidence they are so cheap is easily seen with a quick search on Alibaba where you'll find the same mats that are marketed in the U.S. and abroad for a fraction of the price. See image here of a mat purchased from Alibaba direct for $109 + tax which is the SAME mat as the heavily marketed Higher dose which is sold for upwards to $1000 and more! We tested and dissected both and this one from Alibaba has the same frequency settings, same coils, same mat. except the controllers look a little different (but everything is the same). If you do extensive searching on Alibaba as I have you can find mats that match or are very close to all the name brands and companies that rebrand, market and see these cheap Chinese gemstone mats.
The final reason not to buy these Chinese PEMF mats is they are overpriced. Evidence they are so cheap is easily seen with a quick search on Alibaba where you'll find the same mats that are marketed in the U.S. and abroad for a fraction of the price. See image here of a mat purchased from Alibaba direct for $109 + tax which is the SAME mat as the heavily marketed Higher dose which is sold for upwards to $1000 and more! We tested and dissected both and this one from Alibaba has the same frequency settings, same coils, same mat. except the controllers look a little different (but everything is the same). If you do extensive searching on Alibaba as I have you can find mats that match or are very close to all the name brands and companies that rebrand, market and see these cheap Chinese gemstone mats.
Point #10: Twelve Engineering Points that Increases Slew Rate and Lowers Electrosmog/Radiation.
To accomplish the goal of creating an effective AND safe PEMF signal, one needs to understand BOTH PEMF science/research AND electrical engineering well enough to adjust all the below parameters very carefully. This is essential to properly tune the PEMF controller/driver with all the coils and connecting cables in a way that gives a high clinically backed slew rate signal with a large area of coverage, a deep penetration and a minimal amount of electrosmog (60 Hz, dirty electricity, and other unhealthy higher frequencies). You can think of all these parameters like little knobs that ALL must be dialed in "just right" to yield the best possible PEMF signal:
The first part (points 1-6 below) we look at the importance of careful impedance matching between all the resonating or RLC circuits (R=Resistance, L=Inductance, C= Capacitance) and utilizes proper damping to minimize the effective resistance and unwanted frequencies and radiation. Part two (points 7-12 below) is creating the ideal slew rate now applied to making sure you have the right coils and engineering setup. The goal is to maximize the slew rate using large enough coils to cover the whole body - as much and as evenly as possible - with a deep penetration depth into the body.
To accomplish the goal of creating an effective AND safe PEMF signal, one needs to understand BOTH PEMF science/research AND electrical engineering well enough to adjust all the below parameters very carefully. This is essential to properly tune the PEMF controller/driver with all the coils and connecting cables in a way that gives a high clinically backed slew rate signal with a large area of coverage, a deep penetration and a minimal amount of electrosmog (60 Hz, dirty electricity, and other unhealthy higher frequencies). You can think of all these parameters like little knobs that ALL must be dialed in "just right" to yield the best possible PEMF signal:
- Inductance (L) of the coils, cables, and controllers
- Capacitance ( C) of the coils, cables, and controllers
- Resistance ( R) of the coils, cables, and controllers
- Voltage (V)
- Current (I)
- Rise Time (Δt)
- Coil size (Radius)
- Number of Coils and are they in series or parallel
- Number of windings (or turns) of each coil
The first part (points 1-6 below) we look at the importance of careful impedance matching between all the resonating or RLC circuits (R=Resistance, L=Inductance, C= Capacitance) and utilizes proper damping to minimize the effective resistance and unwanted frequencies and radiation. Part two (points 7-12 below) is creating the ideal slew rate now applied to making sure you have the right coils and engineering setup. The goal is to maximize the slew rate using large enough coils to cover the whole body - as much and as evenly as possible - with a deep penetration depth into the body.
Fine Tuning Part 1 - Getting Rid of Unintended and Unhealthy Frequencies (60 Hz, Electrosmog, RF)
Point #1. First we must rectify the wall AC to a cleaner DC. Also, In order to minimize unwanted dirty electricity at higher frequencies, we need a clean power supply (low noise, low dirty power). Some power supplies have a LOT more dirty electricity (and even higher Mhz frequencies).
Point #2. Next we need to use an actual function or pulse generator to create a signal. This might sound obvious but ALL the cheap Chinese gemstone/crystal mats simply pulse unhealthy 60 Hz wall current (remember 60 Hz suppresses melatonin)!!
Point #3. Even if you have a signal or pulse generator, you still have to make sure the PEMF device is properly and effectively grounded so there is minimal 60 Hz electric field surrounding the coils EVEN when the device is turned off.
Point #4. The pulse or frequency generator is the beating heart of the PEMF system which will constrain the range of frequencies and magnetic field slew rates (or intensities) that the PEMF device can create. The two best drivers of PEMF are frequency/function generators and solid state pulse generators (charging a bank of capacitors). Because it is difficult to get a high enough slew rate with function generators, solid state pulse generators are the best way to get a high and therapeutic slew rate WITH enough power to drive larger coils and provide deep penetration.
Point #5. Make sure there is careful source/sink impedance matching of the RLC components (resistance, capacitance and inductance) which are the driving electronics and the driven coils and connecting cables. For example if you change the size of the coils, you have to ALSO change the driving electronics to keep it tuned. If you change the length of the connecting cables, this also changes the RLC. And if you increase the slew rate (by increasing the current and voltage), you have to make adjustments.
Point #6. Efforts need to be made to reduce radiated energy from the system at frequencies other than the intended frequencies. These unwanted frequencies include line power frequencies that capacitively couple through the power supply and into the system, impedance mismatching (and improper damping) with coils and cords, radiation from too fast of a rise time, parasitic switching in the transistors, and other miscellaneous oscillations. Also, voltage boosting circuits and processors with poor layout practices can create unwanted radiation and higher frequencies.
Point #1. First we must rectify the wall AC to a cleaner DC. Also, In order to minimize unwanted dirty electricity at higher frequencies, we need a clean power supply (low noise, low dirty power). Some power supplies have a LOT more dirty electricity (and even higher Mhz frequencies).
Point #2. Next we need to use an actual function or pulse generator to create a signal. This might sound obvious but ALL the cheap Chinese gemstone/crystal mats simply pulse unhealthy 60 Hz wall current (remember 60 Hz suppresses melatonin)!!
Point #3. Even if you have a signal or pulse generator, you still have to make sure the PEMF device is properly and effectively grounded so there is minimal 60 Hz electric field surrounding the coils EVEN when the device is turned off.
Point #4. The pulse or frequency generator is the beating heart of the PEMF system which will constrain the range of frequencies and magnetic field slew rates (or intensities) that the PEMF device can create. The two best drivers of PEMF are frequency/function generators and solid state pulse generators (charging a bank of capacitors). Because it is difficult to get a high enough slew rate with function generators, solid state pulse generators are the best way to get a high and therapeutic slew rate WITH enough power to drive larger coils and provide deep penetration.
Point #5. Make sure there is careful source/sink impedance matching of the RLC components (resistance, capacitance and inductance) which are the driving electronics and the driven coils and connecting cables. For example if you change the size of the coils, you have to ALSO change the driving electronics to keep it tuned. If you change the length of the connecting cables, this also changes the RLC. And if you increase the slew rate (by increasing the current and voltage), you have to make adjustments.
Point #6. Efforts need to be made to reduce radiated energy from the system at frequencies other than the intended frequencies. These unwanted frequencies include line power frequencies that capacitively couple through the power supply and into the system, impedance mismatching (and improper damping) with coils and cords, radiation from too fast of a rise time, parasitic switching in the transistors, and other miscellaneous oscillations. Also, voltage boosting circuits and processors with poor layout practices can create unwanted radiation and higher frequencies.
Fine Tuning Part 2 (Points 7-12) - Creating the Perfect High Slew rate signal with a large area of coverage and deep penetration into your whole body.
Point #7. It is best to put larger PEMF Coils on a full body mat in parallel circuits such that the capacitor banks for each coil are in parallel instead of series. This lowers the effective resistance and inductance of the entire PEMF circuit and makes it A LOT easier and much more efficient to achieve a higher and cleaner slew rate with less power. Also putting capacitors in parallel INCREASES the effective capacitance which also helps to increase the slew rate. Finally, this also helps to avoid coupling and high frequency oscillations that can occur between coils in series.
Point #8. Use good connections to avoid losses. This means connections that have a large surface area of contact with good conducting material (like gold) OR use a connector that has many pins or contact points which can also be a litz type of wire. This also lowers the effective resistance and helps to get a higher slew rate.
Point #9. Use a sufficient gauge wire or better yet, use Litz wire also helps to lower the effective resistance of the circuit which again makes it easier to achieve a high slew rate. More effective resistance is like riding your bike uphill. It takes more and more energy to maintain the same speed as the hill gets steeper. Similarly with increased resistance it makes it harder and harder to change the magnetic field quickly enough to maintain a good slew rate.
Point #10. A good engineer will add what are called snubber circuits to suppress or "snub" unwanted higher frequencies and excessive or unwanted resonances. An RC (resistance / capacitance) snubber circuit can be used to absorb these unwanted and unhealthy energies.
Point #11. When using large coils, add a capacitive layer over the coils. Adding a capacitive layer over the coils BOTH boosts the slew rate AND it helps to spread the field out more evenly. First having a capacitive layer boosts the voltage over the coils which then makes it easier to get a higher slew rate. This is like a turbo booster to the slew rate which is much needed because large coils provide more of an uphill effective resistance than small coils which is why there are very few PEMF companies with high slew rates on large coils using a medium range intensity. Secondly the capacitive layer smooths out the slew rate and intensity and reduces hot and cold spots found on MOST PEMF devices. It accomplishes this by providing a wider conductive area (the geometry of a wide conductor makes the field more uniform. When done right, larger coils allow for more area and deeper penetration so your ENTIRE body gets healing energy ALL THE WAY THROUGH from head to toe and back to belly.
Point #12. It's best to use a higher current and lower voltage approach versus higher voltage and lower current. This usually goes hand in hand with using LESS TURNS in the coils (which you can do with a higher current/lower voltage approach). Because each turn adds to the inductance and effective resistance, more turns IS NOT BETTER unlike some so called PEMF experts incorrectly state! Note: almost all the cheaper PEMF devices under $3000 are underpowered and have too LOW of a slew rate.
Point #7. It is best to put larger PEMF Coils on a full body mat in parallel circuits such that the capacitor banks for each coil are in parallel instead of series. This lowers the effective resistance and inductance of the entire PEMF circuit and makes it A LOT easier and much more efficient to achieve a higher and cleaner slew rate with less power. Also putting capacitors in parallel INCREASES the effective capacitance which also helps to increase the slew rate. Finally, this also helps to avoid coupling and high frequency oscillations that can occur between coils in series.
Point #8. Use good connections to avoid losses. This means connections that have a large surface area of contact with good conducting material (like gold) OR use a connector that has many pins or contact points which can also be a litz type of wire. This also lowers the effective resistance and helps to get a higher slew rate.
Point #9. Use a sufficient gauge wire or better yet, use Litz wire also helps to lower the effective resistance of the circuit which again makes it easier to achieve a high slew rate. More effective resistance is like riding your bike uphill. It takes more and more energy to maintain the same speed as the hill gets steeper. Similarly with increased resistance it makes it harder and harder to change the magnetic field quickly enough to maintain a good slew rate.
Point #10. A good engineer will add what are called snubber circuits to suppress or "snub" unwanted higher frequencies and excessive or unwanted resonances. An RC (resistance / capacitance) snubber circuit can be used to absorb these unwanted and unhealthy energies.
Point #11. When using large coils, add a capacitive layer over the coils. Adding a capacitive layer over the coils BOTH boosts the slew rate AND it helps to spread the field out more evenly. First having a capacitive layer boosts the voltage over the coils which then makes it easier to get a higher slew rate. This is like a turbo booster to the slew rate which is much needed because large coils provide more of an uphill effective resistance than small coils which is why there are very few PEMF companies with high slew rates on large coils using a medium range intensity. Secondly the capacitive layer smooths out the slew rate and intensity and reduces hot and cold spots found on MOST PEMF devices. It accomplishes this by providing a wider conductive area (the geometry of a wide conductor makes the field more uniform. When done right, larger coils allow for more area and deeper penetration so your ENTIRE body gets healing energy ALL THE WAY THROUGH from head to toe and back to belly.
Point #12. It's best to use a higher current and lower voltage approach versus higher voltage and lower current. This usually goes hand in hand with using LESS TURNS in the coils (which you can do with a higher current/lower voltage approach). Because each turn adds to the inductance and effective resistance, more turns IS NOT BETTER unlike some so called PEMF experts incorrectly state! Note: almost all the cheaper PEMF devices under $3000 are underpowered and have too LOW of a slew rate.
Point #11: Unnecessary Accessories [SAVE YOUR MONEY]
PEMF companies and energy medicine companies in general are notorious for offering a wide array of accessories and upsells. While some are nice to have and perhaps worth the extra expense, many upsells are mediocre items that other companies make better or outright gimmicks with no place in a brochure. In this section we'll give insights into which accessories are worth having or at least worth considering, and which are hard passes. The key point we teach people when buying ANY energy medicine device is focused on what the company is KNOWN for and PASS on items they are NOT known for. Simple, right?
Necessary Components and Accessories
Every PEMF device I have tried will come with at least a control unit, a power supply and at least one applicator or coil. The first most obvious accessory to add is additional local applicators so you can cover larger areas, small areas and applicators that have a helmholtz arrangement. Another good accessory is GOOD far infrared heating that has low EMF which is both pampering and therapeutic. When I say GOOD, I mean using carbon fiber heating elements like good infrared saunas. All the cheap Chinese gemstone mats use cheap silicone wire and have measurable electric field dirty electricity.
PEMF companies and energy medicine companies in general are notorious for offering a wide array of accessories and upsells. While some are nice to have and perhaps worth the extra expense, many upsells are mediocre items that other companies make better or outright gimmicks with no place in a brochure. In this section we'll give insights into which accessories are worth having or at least worth considering, and which are hard passes. The key point we teach people when buying ANY energy medicine device is focused on what the company is KNOWN for and PASS on items they are NOT known for. Simple, right?
Necessary Components and Accessories
Every PEMF device I have tried will come with at least a control unit, a power supply and at least one applicator or coil. The first most obvious accessory to add is additional local applicators so you can cover larger areas, small areas and applicators that have a helmholtz arrangement. Another good accessory is GOOD far infrared heating that has low EMF which is both pampering and therapeutic. When I say GOOD, I mean using carbon fiber heating elements like good infrared saunas. All the cheap Chinese gemstone mats use cheap silicone wire and have measurable electric field dirty electricity.
Unnecessary Gimmicks or Best to Pass
-Light and Sound Systems - Buy light and sound from a light and sound company.
-Biofeedback - Buy from a Company that specializes in Biofeedback
- pulse oximeters - Buy medical grade from a medical supply place
-PEMF Mats you can Sleep on - Totally unnecessary and potentially harmful if the device has measurable dirty electricity (like electric blanket studies showing risk of Leukemia). It turns out good PEMF you don't want OR need to sleep on all night anyway.
-Red light therapy - Usually Cheap Chinese Mats but I have seen some quality PEMF companies try to include this. The problem is the irradiance/power/brightness is WAY too low to be therapeutic.
-Crystals / Negative ions - Scam - Usually Cheap Chinese Mats - again as we showed you CANNOT get negative ions from crystals. If you want negative ions, buy a good negative ion generator.
-Microcurrent Attachments - Many Cheap Chinese Mats have microcurrent add-ons... EEKS, What's worse than 60 Hz magnetic fields? Ans: 60 Hz direct current!!
-Rife Machine companies selling PEMF add-ons. Here the gimmick is PEMF. You do NOT want high frequency RIFE in PEMF. My experience with RIFE machine companies trying to include PEMF is that they use a POOR slew rate sine waves, frequencies that are too high, and poorly engineered and ineffective coils.
-Smartphone options
- Avoid any PEMF device that is powered by a PHONE = electrosmog and ineffective
-All voice activated features are total gimmicks with no research backing
-Expensive Chairs and Beds claiming multiple therapies like PEMF + Vibroacoustic + Far Infrared + Oxygen or Molecular Hydrogen + ETC, ETC. Many times when you add up the total of the therapies it is MUCH less than these all in one bed.
-Light and Sound Systems - Buy light and sound from a light and sound company.
-Biofeedback - Buy from a Company that specializes in Biofeedback
- pulse oximeters - Buy medical grade from a medical supply place
-PEMF Mats you can Sleep on - Totally unnecessary and potentially harmful if the device has measurable dirty electricity (like electric blanket studies showing risk of Leukemia). It turns out good PEMF you don't want OR need to sleep on all night anyway.
-Red light therapy - Usually Cheap Chinese Mats but I have seen some quality PEMF companies try to include this. The problem is the irradiance/power/brightness is WAY too low to be therapeutic.
-Crystals / Negative ions - Scam - Usually Cheap Chinese Mats - again as we showed you CANNOT get negative ions from crystals. If you want negative ions, buy a good negative ion generator.
-Microcurrent Attachments - Many Cheap Chinese Mats have microcurrent add-ons... EEKS, What's worse than 60 Hz magnetic fields? Ans: 60 Hz direct current!!
-Rife Machine companies selling PEMF add-ons. Here the gimmick is PEMF. You do NOT want high frequency RIFE in PEMF. My experience with RIFE machine companies trying to include PEMF is that they use a POOR slew rate sine waves, frequencies that are too high, and poorly engineered and ineffective coils.
-Smartphone options
- Avoid any PEMF device that is powered by a PHONE = electrosmog and ineffective
-All voice activated features are total gimmicks with no research backing
-Expensive Chairs and Beds claiming multiple therapies like PEMF + Vibroacoustic + Far Infrared + Oxygen or Molecular Hydrogen + ETC, ETC. Many times when you add up the total of the therapies it is MUCH less than these all in one bed.
Point #12: PEMF DEVICE and applicators assembled with strict quality standards
The quality of a PEMF device's manufacturing and assembly is pivotal for ensuring its longevity, dependability and optimal performance over time. In the assessment of PEMF devices, we must consider various aspects of assembly quality:
Materials: Opt for PEMF devices constructed from robust and durable materials. These materials are crucial for enduring heavy usage and ensuring a prolonged service life.
Electronic Components and Engineering: Ensure that the bed’s electrical elements, power units and control mechanisms, are procured from established manufacturers and designed to exact specifications with high lifecycle components to meet the rigors of both home and commercial utilization. See point #10 on more details for proper engineering.
Assembly Process: The PEMF device should be assembled with precision-driven manufacturing practices and stringent quality control protocols, aiming to secure uniform performance and minimize the potential for defects or operational failures.
Regulatory Compliance: The PEMF device must adhere to pertinent industry standards and regulations which affirms its safety and performance efficacy.
Testing and Certification: The PEMF device should be subjected to exhaustive testing both during assembly and before shipment. Slew rate tests with the proper equipment should be across the WHOLE MAT to verify a uniform coverage and ALSO down above the mat to verify penetration depth. All this insures both a high slew rate across and within the whole body AND shows there are no unwanted frequencies that are electrosmog.
The quality of a PEMF device's manufacturing and assembly is pivotal for ensuring its longevity, dependability and optimal performance over time. In the assessment of PEMF devices, we must consider various aspects of assembly quality:
Materials: Opt for PEMF devices constructed from robust and durable materials. These materials are crucial for enduring heavy usage and ensuring a prolonged service life.
Electronic Components and Engineering: Ensure that the bed’s electrical elements, power units and control mechanisms, are procured from established manufacturers and designed to exact specifications with high lifecycle components to meet the rigors of both home and commercial utilization. See point #10 on more details for proper engineering.
Assembly Process: The PEMF device should be assembled with precision-driven manufacturing practices and stringent quality control protocols, aiming to secure uniform performance and minimize the potential for defects or operational failures.
Regulatory Compliance: The PEMF device must adhere to pertinent industry standards and regulations which affirms its safety and performance efficacy.
Testing and Certification: The PEMF device should be subjected to exhaustive testing both during assembly and before shipment. Slew rate tests with the proper equipment should be across the WHOLE MAT to verify a uniform coverage and ALSO down above the mat to verify penetration depth. All this insures both a high slew rate across and within the whole body AND shows there are no unwanted frequencies that are electrosmog.
Point #13: Price and Value
(Not the Cheapest but the Best Value/Dollar)
Another critical factor we must consider is price, and it is helpful to understand the justification behind the retail cost of PEMF therapy products for home and/or business use. A thorough examination of the PEMF market reveals numerous ultra cheap options (i.e. all the Chinese gemstone mats) and also a few excessively priced options ($40,000+). We need not invest more than $5000 in any PEMF device, unless you are a clinic looking for solely high intensity symptomatic relief. There is a saying that "if you buy cheap you buy twice", so look for a quality PEMF device with a high slew rate, the right repetition rates, good coils, low EMF, a good warranty, great training and support, etc. Your time and your life is too precious and valuable, so don't settle for cheap PEMF devices that waste both your time and money. One final consideration is financing alternatives: Investigate whether the manufacturer offers financing solutions, enabling you to distribute the cost of your investment over a specified period of time, which can make it easier to enjoy a quality PEMF right away!!
(Not the Cheapest but the Best Value/Dollar)
Another critical factor we must consider is price, and it is helpful to understand the justification behind the retail cost of PEMF therapy products for home and/or business use. A thorough examination of the PEMF market reveals numerous ultra cheap options (i.e. all the Chinese gemstone mats) and also a few excessively priced options ($40,000+). We need not invest more than $5000 in any PEMF device, unless you are a clinic looking for solely high intensity symptomatic relief. There is a saying that "if you buy cheap you buy twice", so look for a quality PEMF device with a high slew rate, the right repetition rates, good coils, low EMF, a good warranty, great training and support, etc. Your time and your life is too precious and valuable, so don't settle for cheap PEMF devices that waste both your time and money. One final consideration is financing alternatives: Investigate whether the manufacturer offers financing solutions, enabling you to distribute the cost of your investment over a specified period of time, which can make it easier to enjoy a quality PEMF right away!!
Point #14: Is the device comfortable, flexible, convenient and easy to use
Making sure a PEMF device is comfortable, flexible and easy to use is important because you are more likely to use it. If a PEMF mat is hard and uncomfortable like the Chinese crystal PEMF mats, it is not as enjoyable and you are less likely to use something that is not cozy to lay on. Flexible coils are important so you can put your full body mat on a bed or couch without having to worry about the coils.
Finally a PEMF device should be simple and easy to use while still containing enough functionality to do the job right. If you have a quality square wave with a high slew rate and good coils, the good news is you don't need much more in the control unit. All that is needed is a way to control repetition rate frequencies and the intensity. To make this even more simple, a good PEMF company will have fast start programs with repetition rates already programmed to match your circadian rhythms like energizing beta frequencies in the morning and relaxing theta and delta at night like we talked about in point #3.
Making sure a PEMF device is comfortable, flexible and easy to use is important because you are more likely to use it. If a PEMF mat is hard and uncomfortable like the Chinese crystal PEMF mats, it is not as enjoyable and you are less likely to use something that is not cozy to lay on. Flexible coils are important so you can put your full body mat on a bed or couch without having to worry about the coils.
Finally a PEMF device should be simple and easy to use while still containing enough functionality to do the job right. If you have a quality square wave with a high slew rate and good coils, the good news is you don't need much more in the control unit. All that is needed is a way to control repetition rate frequencies and the intensity. To make this even more simple, a good PEMF company will have fast start programs with repetition rates already programmed to match your circadian rhythms like energizing beta frequencies in the morning and relaxing theta and delta at night like we talked about in point #3.
Point #15: Does the device have a solid warranty (and make sure to read the fine print).
The warranty provision is another crucial aspect that should spark our inquiries. A thorough warranty and efficient customer support are indispensable for resolving potential issues, offering assurance and safeguarding our investment and providing peace of mind. You should review the specifics of any warranty, including the most minute details. At minimum, there should be at least a 3-year comprehensive warranty that includes coverage for any potential malfunctions.
**DO NOT BUY USED EQUIPMENT ON EBAY**
One final note is a warning about buying used PEMF devices on EBAY. We strongly discourage buying any PEMF device, new or used on Ebay for a couple reasons. First, you will have no warranty so if something happens it will be a total loss of your investment. Second, you get no training and support on using the device. Thirdly, if it is used, you have no idea how well the previous owner took care of it (there are no carfax reports for used PEMF devices). And finally, there are many bait and switch scams on ebay making it overall a VERY risky and unsafe place to purchase any PEMF or any Energy medicine device in general. Save your money and buy new from a reputable company that will offer a solid warranty, a money back guarantee and training and support!
The warranty provision is another crucial aspect that should spark our inquiries. A thorough warranty and efficient customer support are indispensable for resolving potential issues, offering assurance and safeguarding our investment and providing peace of mind. You should review the specifics of any warranty, including the most minute details. At minimum, there should be at least a 3-year comprehensive warranty that includes coverage for any potential malfunctions.
**DO NOT BUY USED EQUIPMENT ON EBAY**
One final note is a warning about buying used PEMF devices on EBAY. We strongly discourage buying any PEMF device, new or used on Ebay for a couple reasons. First, you will have no warranty so if something happens it will be a total loss of your investment. Second, you get no training and support on using the device. Thirdly, if it is used, you have no idea how well the previous owner took care of it (there are no carfax reports for used PEMF devices). And finally, there are many bait and switch scams on ebay making it overall a VERY risky and unsafe place to purchase any PEMF or any Energy medicine device in general. Save your money and buy new from a reputable company that will offer a solid warranty, a money back guarantee and training and support!
Point #16: Does the company stand behind their product with a trial period or return policy
Overall, a return/refund policy shows you - the consumer - that the PEMF company believes and stands behind their product. Obviously you still need to have a quality PEMF device with a high slew rate, good coils, etc., but having a satisfaction guarantee should be an important ingredient in your checklist of things to look for in a PEMF company.
Also, this return policy should make the duties and responsibilities of both parties clear so as to avoid any misunderstandings and disagreements. It will also enable customers to find answers to their return-related queries on your website, which will save you time answering questions via email or phone. We have found some scams like, for example, the fine print of one of these cheap Chinese gemstone mats ONLY offers a money back guarantee on NON-SALE pricing. The scam is that they almost always have their device on sale! So even if the company offers a money back guarantee, make sure to read the fine print!
Overall, a return/refund policy shows you - the consumer - that the PEMF company believes and stands behind their product. Obviously you still need to have a quality PEMF device with a high slew rate, good coils, etc., but having a satisfaction guarantee should be an important ingredient in your checklist of things to look for in a PEMF company.
Also, this return policy should make the duties and responsibilities of both parties clear so as to avoid any misunderstandings and disagreements. It will also enable customers to find answers to their return-related queries on your website, which will save you time answering questions via email or phone. We have found some scams like, for example, the fine print of one of these cheap Chinese gemstone mats ONLY offers a money back guarantee on NON-SALE pricing. The scam is that they almost always have their device on sale! So even if the company offers a money back guarantee, make sure to read the fine print!
Point #17: FDA registration and the Product FDA Cleared?
It is imperative that we inquire whether both the company and its assembly manufacturer are registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and if the product itself has received FDA clearance. We should always request tangible proof of active FDA registration and take the initiative to validate this information through the official FDA database, as there are instances where companies and products claim certain things yet lack the necessary registrations and clearances. This inquiry is important because a company’s FDA registration and product clearance, along with other safety and quality certifications, demonstrates their adherence to pertinent regulatory standards.
It is imperative that we inquire whether both the company and its assembly manufacturer are registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and if the product itself has received FDA clearance. We should always request tangible proof of active FDA registration and take the initiative to validate this information through the official FDA database, as there are instances where companies and products claim certain things yet lack the necessary registrations and clearances. This inquiry is important because a company’s FDA registration and product clearance, along with other safety and quality certifications, demonstrates their adherence to pertinent regulatory standards.
Point #18: High End Customer Service, Training and Support
Along with having an effective PEMF device with a high slew rate that is comfortable and easy to use, it is also important to have guidance and experienced training and support on how to use a PEMF device to get the best results. While good PEMF devices can be easy to use, there is still the question of dosage or dosimetry. That is, how many times a day, for how long and at what intensity or repetition rate frequency. Having experienced and competent support will assure you that you will get results using a good PEMF device.
Sadly many of the cheap PEMF mats, especially the Chinese crystals mats are sold online and on Amazon or ebay and you not only get a cheap and ineffective device, you don't get good service and support, sometimes none at all! We have talked to many people who have purchased a top selling cheap crystal PEMF mat and not only did they not answer the phone, they were not answering emails either! Many companies will spend time with you on the sales side, but as soon as you purchase there is little and sometimes no support. In the case of PEMF devices sold through MLM, the support is dependent on the person you are purchasing from, so make sure to work with someone committed and not just doing PEMF as a side hobby. Another red flag is companies that sell online that just have emails and contact forms but no phone numbers and real people to talk to. If this is all they have in the buying process you can almost be guaranteed you will receive little, if any support, so buyer beware! Trusted companies also provide you with real contact people, faces and phone numbers! The bottom line is that it is worth it to pay more for a company that offers not only a great product, but top-notch service, training and support
Along with having an effective PEMF device with a high slew rate that is comfortable and easy to use, it is also important to have guidance and experienced training and support on how to use a PEMF device to get the best results. While good PEMF devices can be easy to use, there is still the question of dosage or dosimetry. That is, how many times a day, for how long and at what intensity or repetition rate frequency. Having experienced and competent support will assure you that you will get results using a good PEMF device.
Sadly many of the cheap PEMF mats, especially the Chinese crystals mats are sold online and on Amazon or ebay and you not only get a cheap and ineffective device, you don't get good service and support, sometimes none at all! We have talked to many people who have purchased a top selling cheap crystal PEMF mat and not only did they not answer the phone, they were not answering emails either! Many companies will spend time with you on the sales side, but as soon as you purchase there is little and sometimes no support. In the case of PEMF devices sold through MLM, the support is dependent on the person you are purchasing from, so make sure to work with someone committed and not just doing PEMF as a side hobby. Another red flag is companies that sell online that just have emails and contact forms but no phone numbers and real people to talk to. If this is all they have in the buying process you can almost be guaranteed you will receive little, if any support, so buyer beware! Trusted companies also provide you with real contact people, faces and phone numbers! The bottom line is that it is worth it to pay more for a company that offers not only a great product, but top-notch service, training and support
Point #19: Does the device have business and marketing support (and a good affiliate program).
PEMF Therapy has gained significant traction within the health and wellness sector, presenting numerous potential advantages for businesses and clients. A good PEMF company can offer guidance to business owners who want to provide and profit from PEMF as a service for the clinic, spa, wellness company.
Also because the advantages of a PEMF really come from daily and consistent use, having access to a good affiliate program allows business and affiliate marketers the opportunity to make a significant side income as long as the affiliate percentages are generous. Too many companies either have no affiliate program or offer a measly 5% for referrals. Ideally, you would want an affiliate program that offers at least 10-20% per sale.
For people just wanting to experience the daily benefits of PEMF, clearly the most important thing is to get a GOOD PEMF device, but if it works for you and you tell your friends and family about it, it is always nice to know you can be rewarded generously for your referrals.
PEMF Therapy has gained significant traction within the health and wellness sector, presenting numerous potential advantages for businesses and clients. A good PEMF company can offer guidance to business owners who want to provide and profit from PEMF as a service for the clinic, spa, wellness company.
Also because the advantages of a PEMF really come from daily and consistent use, having access to a good affiliate program allows business and affiliate marketers the opportunity to make a significant side income as long as the affiliate percentages are generous. Too many companies either have no affiliate program or offer a measly 5% for referrals. Ideally, you would want an affiliate program that offers at least 10-20% per sale.
For people just wanting to experience the daily benefits of PEMF, clearly the most important thing is to get a GOOD PEMF device, but if it works for you and you tell your friends and family about it, it is always nice to know you can be rewarded generously for your referrals.
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[14] Varani K, Gessi S, Merighi S, Iannotta V, Cattabriga E, Spisani S, Cadossi R, Borea PA. Effect of low frequency electromagnetic fields on A2A adenosine receptors in human neutrophils. Br J Pharmacol. 2002;136(1):57–66.
[15] Varani K, Gessi S, Merighi S, Iannotta V, Cattabriga E, Pancaldi C, Cadossi R, Borea PA. Alteration of A3 adenosine receptors in human neutrophils and low frequency electromagnetic fields. Biochem Pharmacol. 2003;66(10):1897–1906.
[16] Varani K, De Mattei M, Vincenzi F, Gessi S, Merighi S, Pellati A, Ongaro A, Caruso A, Cadossi R, Borea PA. Characterization of adenosine receptors in bovine chondrocytes and fibroblast-like synoviocytes exposed to low frequency low energy pulsed electromagnetic fields. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2008;16(3):292–304.
[17] Massari L, Benazzo F, De Mattei M, Setti S, Fini M; CRES Study Group. Effects of electrical physical stimuli on articular cartilage. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007 Oct;89 Suppl 3:152-61.
[18] Nuccitelli R, Nuccitelli P, Li C, Narsing S, Pariser DM, Lui K. The electric field near human skin wounds declines with age and provides a noninvasive indicator of wound healing. Wound Repair Regen. 2011 Sep-Oct;19(5):645-55.
[19] Whitney, R. Sutherland, R. Requirement for calcium ions in lymphocyte transformation stimulated by phytohemagglutinin. Journal of Cellular Physiology. 1972; 80: 329-332
[20] Cossarizza, A., S. Angioni, et al. (1993). Exposure to low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields increases interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Exp Cell Res 204(2): 385-7. Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. May 20, 2013
[21] Nordenstrom BE. Impact of biologically closed electric circuits (BCEC) on structure and function. Integr Physiol Behav Sci 27 (1992):285–303.
[22] Burr HS, Harvey SC, Taffel M. Bio-electric correlates of wound healing. Yale J Biol Med 11 (1938):104–107.
[23] Grimnes S. Pathways of ionic flow through human skin in vivo. Acta Derm Venereol 64 (1984):93–98.
[24] Barker AT, Jaffe LF, Vanable JW, Jr. The glabrous epidermis of cavies contains a powerful battery. Am J Physiol 242 (1982):R358–R366.
[25] Foulds IS, Barker AT. Human skin battery potentials and their possible role in wound healing. Br J Dermatol 109 (1983):515–522.
[26] Nuccitelli R. A role for endogenous electric fields in wound healing. Curr Top Dev Biol 58 (2003):1–26.
[27] Nuccitelli R, Nuccitelli P, Ramlatchan S, Sanger R, Smith PJ. Imaging the electric field associated with mouse and human skin wounds. Wound Repair Regen 16 (2008):432–441.
[28] Nuccitelli R, Nuccitelli P, Li C, Narsing S, Pariser DM, Lui K. The electric field near human skin wounds declines with age and provides a noninvasive indicator of wound healing. Wound Repair Regen 19 (2011):645–655.
[29] Jaffe LF, Vanable JW, Jr. Electric fields and wound healing. Clin Dermatol 2 (1984):34–44.
[30] Illingworth CM, Barker AT. Measurement of electrical currents emerging during the regeneration of amputated finger tips in children. Clin Phys Physiol Meas 1 (1980):87.
[31] Vanable JW, Jr. (1989) Integumentary potentials and wound healing. In: Electric Fields in Vertebrate Repair, Ed. Borgens RB, pp. 171–224. Alan R. Liss, Inc, New York.
[32] Lee RC, Canaday DJ, Doong H. A review of the biophysical basis for the clinical application of electric fields in soft-tissue repair. J Burn Care Rehabil 14 (1993):319–335.
[33] Carley PJ, Wainapel SF. Electrotherapy for acceleration of wound healing: Low intensity direct current. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 66 (1985):443–446.
[34] Balakatounis KC, Angoules AG. Low-intensity electrical stimulation in wound healing: Review of the efficacy of externally applied currents resembling the current of injury. Eplasty 8 (2008):e28.
[35] Young S, Hampton S, Tadej M. Study to evaluate the effect of low-intensity pulsed electrical currents on levels of oedema in chronic non-healing wounds. J Wound Care 20 (2011):368, 370–363.
[36] Pilla AA. Mechanisms and therapeutic applications of time varying and static magnetic fields. In Biological and Medical Aspects of Electromagnetic Fields, Barnes F, Greenebaum B, (eds.). CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL. 2007; pp. 351–411.
[37] Pilla AA. Electromagnetic fields instantaneously modulate nitric oxide signaling in challenged biological systems. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2012;426:330–333.
[38] Pilla AA. Nonthermal electromagnetic fields: From first messenger to therapeutic applications. Electromagn Biol Med. 2013;32:123–136.
[39] Pilla A, Fitzsimmons R, Muehsam D, Wu J, Rohde C, Casper D. Electromagnetic fields as first messenger in biological signaling: Application to calmodulin-dependent signaling in tissue repair. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2011;1810:1236–1245.
[40] Pilla AA, Muehsam DJ, Markov MS, Sisken BF. EMF signals and ion/ligand binding kinetics: Prediction of bioeffective waveform parameters. Bioelectrochem Bioenerg. 1999;48:27–34.
[41] Panagopoulos DJ, Karabarbounis A, Margaritis LH Mechanism for action of electromagnetic fields on cells Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2002; 298: 95-102
[42] Selvamurugan N, Kwok S, Vasilov A, Jefcoat SC, Patridge NC. Effects of BMP-2 and pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on rat primary osteoblastic cell proliferation and gene expression. J Orthop Res. 2007; 25(9): 1213-20
[43] Ibiwaye MO, Powell Ka, Grabnier MD. Bone mass is preserved in a critical-sized osteotomy by low energy pulsed electromagnetic fields as quantitated by in vivo micro-computed tomography. J Orthop Res. 2004; 2004 22(5): 1086-93.
[44] Androjna C, Waldorff EJ, Ryaby JT, Zborowski M, Midura RJ. Optimizing Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Signals to Reduce Bone Loss Associated with Osteoporosis". Orthopedic Research Society March 2017, San Diego Calfornia.
[45] Bassett CA, Becker RO. Generation of electric potentials in bone in response to mechanical stress. Science 1962;137:1063–4.
[46] Basset CAL, Pawluk RJ, Pilla AA. Augmentation of bone repair by inductively coupled magnetic field. Science 1974;184:575–9.
[47] Goodwin, T. Physiologic and molecular genetic effects of time-varying electromagnetic fields on human neuronal cells. Lyndon B Johnson Space Center. 2003 Sep. NASA
[48] Becker RO. The bioelectric factors in amphibian-limb regeneration. J Bone Joint Surg 1961;43:643–56.
[49] Becker RO. Augmentation of regenerative healing in man. A possible alternative to prosthetic implantation. Clin Orthop 83 (1972):255–262.
[50] Goodwin, Thomas. (2003). Physiological and Molecular Genetic Effects of Time-Varying Electromagnetic Fields on Human Neuronal Cells.
[51] Brighton, C.T., Friedenberg, Z.B., Black, J., 1979. Evaluation of the use of constant direct current in the treatment of non-union. In: Brighton, C.T. (Ed.), Electrical properties of bone and cartilage. New York: Plenum Press:519–545.
[52] Bassett, C.A.L., 1995. Bioelectromagnetics in the service of medicine. In: Blank, M. (Ed.), Electromagnetic Fields: Biological interactions and Mechanisms. Advances in chemistry Series, vol. 250. American chemi- cal Society, Washington, DC, pp. 261–275
[53] Rubin, C.T., McLeod, K.J., Lanyon, L.E., 1989. Prevention of osteoporosis by pulsed electromagnetic fields. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 71 (3), 411–417.
**18 High Slew Rate Studies Below [54-69]**
[54] Dennis R. Inductively Coupled Electrical Stimulation - Part 2: Optimization of parameters for orthopedic injuries and pain. The Journal of Science and Medicine. 2020; 1(2)DOI
[55] Caroline Androjna, Cristal S. Yee, Carter R. White, Erik I. Waldorff, James T. Ryaby, Maciej Zborowski, Tamara Alliston, Ronald J. Midura, A comparison of alendronate to varying magnitude PEMF in mitigating bone loss and altering bone remodeling in skeletally mature osteoporotic rats, Bone, Volume 143, 2021,115761, ISSN 8756-3282.
[56] Wang M, Li Y, Feng L, Zhang X, Wang H, Zhang N, Viohl I, Li G. Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Enhances Healing of a Meniscal Tear and Mitigates Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis in a Rat Model. Am J Sports Med. 2022 Aug;50(10):2722-2732.
[57] Li Y, Yang Y, Wang M, Zhang X, Bai S, Lu X, Li Y, Waldorff EI, Zhang N, Lee WY, Li G. High slew rate pulsed electromagnetic field enhances bone consolidation and shortens daily treatment duration in distraction osteogenesis. Bone Joint Res. 2021 Dec;10(12):767-779
[58] Li, Yucong & Qi, Pan & Zhang, Nianli & Wang, Bin & Yang, Zhengmeng & Ryaby, James & Waldorff, Erik & Lee, Wayne & Li, Gang. (2020). A novel pulsed electromagnetic field promotes distraction osteogenesis via enhancing osteogenesis and angiogenesis in a rat model. Journal of Orthopaedic Translation. 25. 10.1016/j.jot.2020.10.007.
[59] Hubbard, Devin. (2020). Electroceutical Technology: Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of 40-160 T/S Inductively Coupled Electrical Stimulation (ICES) In The Acute Inflammation Model. The Journal of Science and Medicine. 2. 1-50. 10.37714/josam.v2i2.38
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[81] When the field strength is relatively high at 7 mT (milliTesla) osteoblasts were stimulated to increase bone production only at the beginning of the experiment. (Diniz 2002/81) Later in the study the osteoblast activity decreased. This is a reminder of the importance of the biological window – and in this case, the amplitude window in exerting consistently positive therapeutic effects. Most beneficial effects occur at very low electromagnetic amplitudes (or “flux densities”). Diniz, P., K. Soejima, et al. (2002). Nitric oxide mediates the effects of pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation on
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[1] Shujun Zhang et al., “The Effects of Bio-Inspired Electromagnetic Fields on Healthy Enhancement with Case Studies,” Emerging Science Journal 3, no. 6 (December 1, 2019): 369–81
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[8] H. Richard Leuchtag. "Voltage-Sensitive Ion Channels: Biophysics of Molecular Excitability". Retrieved 2012-08-01.
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[12] Vianale, G., Reale, M., Amerio, P., Stefanachi, M., Di Luzio, S., and Muraro, R. (2008). Extremely low frequency electromagnetic field enhances human keratinocyte cell growth and decreases proinflammatory chemokine production. Br J Dermatol 158, 1189–1196.
[13] Vincenzi F, Targa M, Corciulo C, Gessi S, Merighi S, Setti S, Cadossi R, Goldring MB, Borea PA, Varani K. Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields increased the Anti-Inflammatory Effect of A2a and A3 Adenosine receptors in Human T/C-28a2 Chondrocytes and fFOB 1.19 Osteoblasts. PLOS ONE 2013; 8(5):e65561
[14] Varani K, Gessi S, Merighi S, Iannotta V, Cattabriga E, Spisani S, Cadossi R, Borea PA. Effect of low frequency electromagnetic fields on A2A adenosine receptors in human neutrophils. Br J Pharmacol. 2002;136(1):57–66.
[15] Varani K, Gessi S, Merighi S, Iannotta V, Cattabriga E, Pancaldi C, Cadossi R, Borea PA. Alteration of A3 adenosine receptors in human neutrophils and low frequency electromagnetic fields. Biochem Pharmacol. 2003;66(10):1897–1906.
[16] Varani K, De Mattei M, Vincenzi F, Gessi S, Merighi S, Pellati A, Ongaro A, Caruso A, Cadossi R, Borea PA. Characterization of adenosine receptors in bovine chondrocytes and fibroblast-like synoviocytes exposed to low frequency low energy pulsed electromagnetic fields. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2008;16(3):292–304.
[17] Massari L, Benazzo F, De Mattei M, Setti S, Fini M; CRES Study Group. Effects of electrical physical stimuli on articular cartilage. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007 Oct;89 Suppl 3:152-61.
[18] Nuccitelli R, Nuccitelli P, Li C, Narsing S, Pariser DM, Lui K. The electric field near human skin wounds declines with age and provides a noninvasive indicator of wound healing. Wound Repair Regen. 2011 Sep-Oct;19(5):645-55.
[19] Whitney, R. Sutherland, R. Requirement for calcium ions in lymphocyte transformation stimulated by phytohemagglutinin. Journal of Cellular Physiology. 1972; 80: 329-332
[20] Cossarizza, A., S. Angioni, et al. (1993). Exposure to low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields increases interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Exp Cell Res 204(2): 385-7. Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. May 20, 2013
[21] Nordenstrom BE. Impact of biologically closed electric circuits (BCEC) on structure and function. Integr Physiol Behav Sci 27 (1992):285–303.
[22] Burr HS, Harvey SC, Taffel M. Bio-electric correlates of wound healing. Yale J Biol Med 11 (1938):104–107.
[23] Grimnes S. Pathways of ionic flow through human skin in vivo. Acta Derm Venereol 64 (1984):93–98.
[24] Barker AT, Jaffe LF, Vanable JW, Jr. The glabrous epidermis of cavies contains a powerful battery. Am J Physiol 242 (1982):R358–R366.
[25] Foulds IS, Barker AT. Human skin battery potentials and their possible role in wound healing. Br J Dermatol 109 (1983):515–522.
[26] Nuccitelli R. A role for endogenous electric fields in wound healing. Curr Top Dev Biol 58 (2003):1–26.
[27] Nuccitelli R, Nuccitelli P, Ramlatchan S, Sanger R, Smith PJ. Imaging the electric field associated with mouse and human skin wounds. Wound Repair Regen 16 (2008):432–441.
[28] Nuccitelli R, Nuccitelli P, Li C, Narsing S, Pariser DM, Lui K. The electric field near human skin wounds declines with age and provides a noninvasive indicator of wound healing. Wound Repair Regen 19 (2011):645–655.
[29] Jaffe LF, Vanable JW, Jr. Electric fields and wound healing. Clin Dermatol 2 (1984):34–44.
[30] Illingworth CM, Barker AT. Measurement of electrical currents emerging during the regeneration of amputated finger tips in children. Clin Phys Physiol Meas 1 (1980):87.
[31] Vanable JW, Jr. (1989) Integumentary potentials and wound healing. In: Electric Fields in Vertebrate Repair, Ed. Borgens RB, pp. 171–224. Alan R. Liss, Inc, New York.
[32] Lee RC, Canaday DJ, Doong H. A review of the biophysical basis for the clinical application of electric fields in soft-tissue repair. J Burn Care Rehabil 14 (1993):319–335.
[33] Carley PJ, Wainapel SF. Electrotherapy for acceleration of wound healing: Low intensity direct current. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 66 (1985):443–446.
[34] Balakatounis KC, Angoules AG. Low-intensity electrical stimulation in wound healing: Review of the efficacy of externally applied currents resembling the current of injury. Eplasty 8 (2008):e28.
[35] Young S, Hampton S, Tadej M. Study to evaluate the effect of low-intensity pulsed electrical currents on levels of oedema in chronic non-healing wounds. J Wound Care 20 (2011):368, 370–363.
[36] Pilla AA. Mechanisms and therapeutic applications of time varying and static magnetic fields. In Biological and Medical Aspects of Electromagnetic Fields, Barnes F, Greenebaum B, (eds.). CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL. 2007; pp. 351–411.
[37] Pilla AA. Electromagnetic fields instantaneously modulate nitric oxide signaling in challenged biological systems. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2012;426:330–333.
[38] Pilla AA. Nonthermal electromagnetic fields: From first messenger to therapeutic applications. Electromagn Biol Med. 2013;32:123–136.
[39] Pilla A, Fitzsimmons R, Muehsam D, Wu J, Rohde C, Casper D. Electromagnetic fields as first messenger in biological signaling: Application to calmodulin-dependent signaling in tissue repair. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2011;1810:1236–1245.
[40] Pilla AA, Muehsam DJ, Markov MS, Sisken BF. EMF signals and ion/ligand binding kinetics: Prediction of bioeffective waveform parameters. Bioelectrochem Bioenerg. 1999;48:27–34.
[41] Panagopoulos DJ, Karabarbounis A, Margaritis LH Mechanism for action of electromagnetic fields on cells Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2002; 298: 95-102
[42] Selvamurugan N, Kwok S, Vasilov A, Jefcoat SC, Patridge NC. Effects of BMP-2 and pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on rat primary osteoblastic cell proliferation and gene expression. J Orthop Res. 2007; 25(9): 1213-20
[43] Ibiwaye MO, Powell Ka, Grabnier MD. Bone mass is preserved in a critical-sized osteotomy by low energy pulsed electromagnetic fields as quantitated by in vivo micro-computed tomography. J Orthop Res. 2004; 2004 22(5): 1086-93.
[44] Androjna C, Waldorff EJ, Ryaby JT, Zborowski M, Midura RJ. Optimizing Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Signals to Reduce Bone Loss Associated with Osteoporosis". Orthopedic Research Society March 2017, San Diego Calfornia.
[45] Bassett CA, Becker RO. Generation of electric potentials in bone in response to mechanical stress. Science 1962;137:1063–4.
[46] Basset CAL, Pawluk RJ, Pilla AA. Augmentation of bone repair by inductively coupled magnetic field. Science 1974;184:575–9.
[47] Goodwin, T. Physiologic and molecular genetic effects of time-varying electromagnetic fields on human neuronal cells. Lyndon B Johnson Space Center. 2003 Sep. NASA
[48] Becker RO. The bioelectric factors in amphibian-limb regeneration. J Bone Joint Surg 1961;43:643–56.
[49] Becker RO. Augmentation of regenerative healing in man. A possible alternative to prosthetic implantation. Clin Orthop 83 (1972):255–262.
[50] Goodwin, Thomas. (2003). Physiological and Molecular Genetic Effects of Time-Varying Electromagnetic Fields on Human Neuronal Cells.
[51] Brighton, C.T., Friedenberg, Z.B., Black, J., 1979. Evaluation of the use of constant direct current in the treatment of non-union. In: Brighton, C.T. (Ed.), Electrical properties of bone and cartilage. New York: Plenum Press:519–545.
[52] Bassett, C.A.L., 1995. Bioelectromagnetics in the service of medicine. In: Blank, M. (Ed.), Electromagnetic Fields: Biological interactions and Mechanisms. Advances in chemistry Series, vol. 250. American chemi- cal Society, Washington, DC, pp. 261–275
[53] Rubin, C.T., McLeod, K.J., Lanyon, L.E., 1989. Prevention of osteoporosis by pulsed electromagnetic fields. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 71 (3), 411–417.
**18 High Slew Rate Studies Below [54-69]**
[54] Dennis R. Inductively Coupled Electrical Stimulation - Part 2: Optimization of parameters for orthopedic injuries and pain. The Journal of Science and Medicine. 2020; 1(2)DOI
[55] Caroline Androjna, Cristal S. Yee, Carter R. White, Erik I. Waldorff, James T. Ryaby, Maciej Zborowski, Tamara Alliston, Ronald J. Midura, A comparison of alendronate to varying magnitude PEMF in mitigating bone loss and altering bone remodeling in skeletally mature osteoporotic rats, Bone, Volume 143, 2021,115761, ISSN 8756-3282.
[56] Wang M, Li Y, Feng L, Zhang X, Wang H, Zhang N, Viohl I, Li G. Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Enhances Healing of a Meniscal Tear and Mitigates Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis in a Rat Model. Am J Sports Med. 2022 Aug;50(10):2722-2732.
[57] Li Y, Yang Y, Wang M, Zhang X, Bai S, Lu X, Li Y, Waldorff EI, Zhang N, Lee WY, Li G. High slew rate pulsed electromagnetic field enhances bone consolidation and shortens daily treatment duration in distraction osteogenesis. Bone Joint Res. 2021 Dec;10(12):767-779
[58] Li, Yucong & Qi, Pan & Zhang, Nianli & Wang, Bin & Yang, Zhengmeng & Ryaby, James & Waldorff, Erik & Lee, Wayne & Li, Gang. (2020). A novel pulsed electromagnetic field promotes distraction osteogenesis via enhancing osteogenesis and angiogenesis in a rat model. Journal of Orthopaedic Translation. 25. 10.1016/j.jot.2020.10.007.
[59] Hubbard, Devin. (2020). Electroceutical Technology: Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of 40-160 T/S Inductively Coupled Electrical Stimulation (ICES) In The Acute Inflammation Model. The Journal of Science and Medicine. 2. 1-50. 10.37714/josam.v2i2.38
[60] Smith, T.L., Wong-Gibbons, D. and Maultsby, J. (2004), Microcirculatory effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields. J. Orthop. Res., 22: 80-84.
[61] Spadaro, J.A. & Bergstrom, W.H.. (2002). In Vivo and In Vitro Effects of a Pulsed Electromagnetic Field on Net Calcium Flux in Rat Calvarial Bone. Calcified tissue international. 70. 496-502. 10.1007/s00223-001-1001-6.
[62] Tucker, J.J., Cirone, J.M., Morris, T.R., Nuss, C.A., Huegel, J., Waldorff, E.I., Zhang, N., Ryaby, J.T. and Soslowsky, L.J. (2017), Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy improves tendon-to-bone healing in a rat rotator cuff repair model. J. Orthop. Res., 35: 902-909
[63] Parate, D., Franco-Obregón, A., Fröhlich, J. et al. Enhancement of mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenesis with short-term low intensity pulsed electromagnetic fields. Sci Rep 7, 9421 (2017).
[64] Craig Jun Kit Wong, Yee Kit Tai, Jasmine Lye Yee Yap, Charlene Hui Hua Fong, Larry Sai Weng Loo, Marek Kukumberg, Jürg Fröhlich, Sitong Zhang, Jing Ze Li, Jiong-Wei Wang, Abdul Jalil Rufaihah, Alfredo Franco-Obregón, Brief exposure to directionally-specific pulsed electromagnetic fields stimulates extracellular vesicle release and is antagonized by streptomycin: A potential regenerative medicine and food industry paradigm,Biomaterials, Volume 287, 2022, 121658, ISSN 0142-9612
[65] Parate, D., Kadir, N.D., Celik, C. et al. Pulsed electromagnetic fields potentiate the paracrine function of mesenchymal stem cells for cartilage regeneration. Stem Cell Res Ther 11, 46 (2020).
[66] Sisken, Betty. (2021). Enhancement of Nerve Regeneration by Selected Electromagnetic Signals.
[67] Crocetti S, Beyer C, Schade G, Egli M, Fröhlich J, Franco-Obregón A. Low intensity and frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields selectively impair breast cancer cell viability. PLoS One. 2013 Sep 11;8(9):e72944
[68] Dallari D, Fini M, Giavaresi G, Del Piccolo N, Stagni C, Amendola L, Rani N, Gnudi S, Giardino R. Effects of pulsed electromagnetic stimulation on patients undergoing hip revision prostheses: a randomized prospective double-blind study. Bioelectromagnetics. 2009 Sep;30(6):423-30.
[69] Martino CF, Belchenko D, Ferguson V, Nielsen-Preiss S, Qi HJ. The effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on the cellular activity of SaOS-2 cells. Bioelectromagnetics. 2008 Feb;29(2):125-32.
[69.2] Cheing, G. L., et al. «Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy increases tensile strength in the healing of rotator cuff repair: a prospective randomized double-blinded study.» Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, vol. 13, no. 2018 ,1, pp. 47g
[69.3] Binder A, Parr G, Hazleman B, Fitton-Jackson S. Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy of persistent rotator cuff tendinitis. A double-blind controlled assessment. Lancet. 1984;1(8379):695–8.
**End 18 Slew Rate Studies**
[70] Weaver JC, Astumian RD. The response of living cells to very weak electric fields: the thermal noise limit. Science. 1990 Jan 26;247(4941):459-62
[71] IEC. Particular requirements for the safety of magnetic resonance equipment for medical diagnosis. In: Diagnostic imaging equipment, publication IEC 60601-2-33, medical electrical equipment, Part 2. International Electrotechnology Commission, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), 3, rue de Varembé, P.O. Box 131, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, 1995.
[72] Dennis R, Tommerdahl A, Dennis A. (2020). Inductively Coupled Electrical Stimulation - Part 4: Effect of PEMF on seed germination; evidence of triphasic inverse hormesis. Journal of Science and Medicine; 3(1):1-44. https://doi.org/10.37714/josam.v2i4.58. https://www.josam.org/josam/article/view/58
[73] Dennis R. Inductively Coupled Electrical Stimulation - Part I: Overview and First Observations. The Journal of Science and Medicine. 2019; 1(1)DOI
[74] Dennis R. Inductively Coupled Electrical Stimulation - Part 2: Optimization of parameters for orthopedic injuries and pain. The Journal of Science and Medicine. 2020; 1(2)
[75] Dennis, R.G., Dow, D. E. (2007) Excitability of skeletal muscle during development, denervation, and tissue culture. Tissue Engineering, 13:10, 2395-2404, October.
[76]Dennis, R.G., Paul E. Kosnik, Mark E. Gilbert, and John A. Faulkner. (2001) Excitability and contractility of skeletal muscle engineered from primary cultures and cell lines. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 280: C288-C295.
[77]Dennis R.G., Kosnik P.E. (2000) Excitability and isometric contractile properties of mammalian skeletal muscle constructs engineered in vitro. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. Anim. 36(5): 327-335.
[78] Kosnik P. Jr., Faulkner J.A., and Dennis R.G. (2001) Functional development of engineered skeletal muscle from adult and neonatal rats. Tissue Engineering, 7(5) 573-584.
[79] IEC. Particular requirements for the safety of magnetic resonance equipment for medical diagnosis. In: Diagnostic imaging equipment, publication IEC 60601-2-33, medical electrical equipment, Part 2. International Electrotechnology Commission, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), 3, rue de Varembé, P.O. Box 131, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, 1995.
[80] Mansourian M, Shanei A. Evaluation of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Effects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Highlights of Two Decades of Research In Vitro Studies. Biomed Res Int. 2021 Jul 29;2021:6647497. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8342182/
[81] When the field strength is relatively high at 7 mT (milliTesla) osteoblasts were stimulated to increase bone production only at the beginning of the experiment. (Diniz 2002/81) Later in the study the osteoblast activity decreased. This is a reminder of the importance of the biological window – and in this case, the amplitude window in exerting consistently positive therapeutic effects. Most beneficial effects occur at very low electromagnetic amplitudes (or “flux densities”). Diniz, P., K. Soejima, et al. (2002). Nitric oxide mediates the effects of pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation on
the osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Nitric Oxide 7(1): 18-23.
[82] Research shows that the induced field must be small or it will not work (Rubin 1989).
Rubin, C. T., K. J. McLeod, et al. (1989). Prevention of osteoporosis by pulsed electromagnetic fields. J Bone Joint Surg Am 71(3): 411-7.
[83] Henshaw DL, Reiter RJ. Do magnetic fields cause increased risk of childhood leukemia via melatonin disruption? Bioelectromagnetics. 2005;(Suppl 7):S86–97.
[84] Stevens RG. The melatonin hypothesis: electric power and breast cancer. Environ Health Perspect. 1996;104:135–40
Melatonin Receptor Disrupted by EMF
[85] Girgert R, Hanf V, Emons G, Gründker C. Signal transduction of the melatonin receptor MT1 is disrupted in breast cancer cells by electromagnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics. 2010;31:237–45
[86] A. P. Castano et al., “Low-level laser therapy for zymosan-induced arthritis in rats: Importance of illumination time,” Lasers Surgery Med. 39(6), 543–550 (2007).
[87] R. J. Lanzafame et al., “Reciprocity of exposure time and irradiance on energy density during photoradiation on wound healing in a murine pressure ulcer model,” Lasers Surgery Med. 39(6), 534–542 (2007).
[88] J. T. Hashmi et al., “Effect of Pulsing in Low-Level Light Therapy,” Lasers Surgery Med. 42(6), 450–466 (2010).
[89] Iorio R, Delle Monache S, Bennato F, Di Bartolomeo C, Scrimaglio R, Cinque B, Colonna RC. Involvement of mitochondrial activity in mediating ELF-EMF stimulatory effect on human sperm motility. Bioelectromagnetics. 2011 Jan;32(1):15-27. Sperm exposure to ELF-EMF resulted in a progressive and significant increase of mitochondrial membrane potential and levels of ATP, ADP and NAD(+) that was associated with a progressive and significant increase in the sperm kinematic parameters.
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Link to Dr Pawluk's Research Citations from all his Books and Ebooks
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dOBOhuqzdBhZOAANnvT_2KCFWAdNxNc1WloU33_KRKM/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dOBOhuqzdBhZOAANnvT_2KCFWAdNxNc1WloU33_KRKM/edit?usp=sharing
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Three Ways to Transfer Electromagnetic Energy Wirelessly
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How do you know if a PEMF device has the Correct Slew Rate?
Ans: You Have Measure Slew Rate Directly , Don't Calculate!
There is a very important reason WHY high slew rate pulses MUST be measured with a high speed magnetic flux detector such as a hall effect probe/sensor, and when measured accurately yields good estimates of the induced field within the tissues. This is because effective slew rate PEMF pulses will rise too fast for most gauss meters to accurately measure. It seems very few PEMF companies, so called experts and influencers cannot even measure the intensity of fast changing PEMFs let alone the slew rate.
The Problem in the PEMF industry is not only that Slew rate values are inaccurately listed, it's that they are NOT LISTED AT ALL along with other important PEMF parameters which this buyers guide is outlining. Most companies simply list UNIMPORTANT things like frequency and intensity and even those are either misrepresented or in many cases are flat out wrong because the wrong instruments are used. Sadly because it is unregulated, PEMF companies can pretty much say whatever they want, so it is important to be skeptical unless they can provide solid testing reports. It is our hope that through education we can change the industry and establish better testing metrics to more accurately compare PEMF devices especially by their slew rate.
Ans: You Have Measure Slew Rate Directly , Don't Calculate!
There is a very important reason WHY high slew rate pulses MUST be measured with a high speed magnetic flux detector such as a hall effect probe/sensor, and when measured accurately yields good estimates of the induced field within the tissues. This is because effective slew rate PEMF pulses will rise too fast for most gauss meters to accurately measure. It seems very few PEMF companies, so called experts and influencers cannot even measure the intensity of fast changing PEMFs let alone the slew rate.
The Problem in the PEMF industry is not only that Slew rate values are inaccurately listed, it's that they are NOT LISTED AT ALL along with other important PEMF parameters which this buyers guide is outlining. Most companies simply list UNIMPORTANT things like frequency and intensity and even those are either misrepresented or in many cases are flat out wrong because the wrong instruments are used. Sadly because it is unregulated, PEMF companies can pretty much say whatever they want, so it is important to be skeptical unless they can provide solid testing reports. It is our hope that through education we can change the industry and establish better testing metrics to more accurately compare PEMF devices especially by their slew rate.
[Optional Section] Repetition Rate or Pulses Per Second and Dosage
Besides brain entrainment, the repetition rates are also important in dosing, because more pulses per second means more energy delivered per second, so theoretically you can do a shorter session time with higher repetition rates BUT, it is probably more important to focus on the brain entrainment effects. A higher repetition rate equates to more PEMF pulses per second (PPS) which means more energy is induced in a given time compared to a lower repetition rate [72]. This should make sense because the EMF or energy induced happens on the rising and falling edges of the signal given by their slew rate (dB/dt). If you double the repetition rate or PPS you double the amount of energy induced.
The reason its best to focus on the brain entrainment effects of the repetition rate (and not so much dosage), is that it works out perfectly for proper circadian rhythms because in the morning not only do you want an energizing awake and alert Beta frequencies like say 20 Hz, you ALSO want MORE ENERGY like an energetic cup of coffee, so inducing more energy makes sense. After work, you want to mellow out and relax so a 7.8 Hz Schumann or 10 Hz repetition would be not only relaxing but a little less energetic too. And before bed a 1-3 Hz repetition rate will not only entrain your brain to a lower theta/delta sleep frequency, but it is also less energy yet so it will be like a nice energetic cup of Chamomile tea (not too stimulating)! Also it helps to use slightly higher intensities (= higher slew rates) in the morning and lower intensities (= lower slew rates) at night for the same reasons we just mentioned.
Besides brain entrainment and dosage, there is no consistent research on using specific frequencies in PEMF for specific ailments so don't be misled by frequency! The key is the slew rate and coils primarily, and the repetition rate frequency secondarily (along with points #4 and #5).
Besides brain entrainment, the repetition rates are also important in dosing, because more pulses per second means more energy delivered per second, so theoretically you can do a shorter session time with higher repetition rates BUT, it is probably more important to focus on the brain entrainment effects. A higher repetition rate equates to more PEMF pulses per second (PPS) which means more energy is induced in a given time compared to a lower repetition rate [72]. This should make sense because the EMF or energy induced happens on the rising and falling edges of the signal given by their slew rate (dB/dt). If you double the repetition rate or PPS you double the amount of energy induced.
The reason its best to focus on the brain entrainment effects of the repetition rate (and not so much dosage), is that it works out perfectly for proper circadian rhythms because in the morning not only do you want an energizing awake and alert Beta frequencies like say 20 Hz, you ALSO want MORE ENERGY like an energetic cup of coffee, so inducing more energy makes sense. After work, you want to mellow out and relax so a 7.8 Hz Schumann or 10 Hz repetition would be not only relaxing but a little less energetic too. And before bed a 1-3 Hz repetition rate will not only entrain your brain to a lower theta/delta sleep frequency, but it is also less energy yet so it will be like a nice energetic cup of Chamomile tea (not too stimulating)! Also it helps to use slightly higher intensities (= higher slew rates) in the morning and lower intensities (= lower slew rates) at night for the same reasons we just mentioned.
Besides brain entrainment and dosage, there is no consistent research on using specific frequencies in PEMF for specific ailments so don't be misled by frequency! The key is the slew rate and coils primarily, and the repetition rate frequency secondarily (along with points #4 and #5).