Adverse Reaction to PEMF is very rare and usually very mild.
Any therapy, whether medical or homeopathic, can cause an adverse reaction, and PEMF is no different. Adverse or undesirable reactions happen occasionally, roughly 5% of the time. Most aren’t severe, and they are usually short-lived, particularly if the therapies are localized and not whole-body treatments. Altering the regimen will usually resolve any problems.
PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy) affects:
- Circulation
- Tissue regeneration
- Blood pressure
- Heart rate
- Other systems
Some things to keep in mind:
- PEMF increases blood flow, particularly to areas of the body that are lacking. This is the goal, but it can sometimes cause discomfort. Increasing antioxidants before treatment can reduce or eliminate discomfort caused by oxidative stress. Circulatory improvements can also aggravate existing inflammations, including hives, so clients should be aware of pre-existing conditions and consider additional medical treatments that minimize inflammation before beginning PEMF treatments.
- PEMF stimulates nerve cells. The paradox of nerves is that less-responsive nerves can cause either pain or numbness. Stimulating them can actually temporarily increase pain as the nerves begin to function better, and this is especially true for people who have previously broken bones or scars.
- The body has a way of prioritizing pain, so sometimes multiple areas can sustain damage while only one area broadcasts that pain. PEMF can sometimes treat an area so well that underlying damage to another area only becomes noticeable after PEMF has had a chance to take effect. This is called “chasing the pain.” If PEMF treatment reveals pain in an area of the body that hasn’t previously shown it, clients should consider having a professional medical evaluation done.
- PEMF can reduce blood pressure and slow heart rate, generally a good thing. However, some individuals – including the elderly, those on blood pressure-lowering medications, those who have been confined to bed for an extended period of time, or those who otherwise have unstable blood pressure – can experience fainting episodes and should be warned that PEMF can temporarily exacerbate the problem. As PEMF therapy continues, these reactions should abate.
- PEMF can cause reactions in people who are sensitive to magnetic fields. These reactions can include tiredness, sleep disruption, greater pain, dizziness, a metallic taste, a desire to urinate more frequently, and nerve sensitivity that manifests as a feeling of cold, “pins and needles,” and “heaviness.” These are often a result of an underlying medical problem that should be evaluated by a medical professional. Adjusting the PEMF therapy based on the severity of these reactions is recommended.
[su_quote]Generally speaking, PEMF is a very safe treatment technology. Some of the very high-intensity ringer or impulse systems can be frightening and possibly be damaging when they are set to their highest output levels. We seldom if ever see adverse reactions lasting more than a treatment or two with the Curatron Systems. There are some important contraindications and we discuss those on this page.[/su_quote]