PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) therapy is a form of medicine that uses electromagnetic fields to improve health and well-being. Like anything new, you may be wondering how long has this technology been around and how safe it is for yourself and your family? The history of PEMF therapy can be traced back to before most of your grandparents were born in the early 1900s.
In the 1930s, you may of heard of this brilliant scientist who was one of the first researchers to explore the therapeutic effects of EMFs (electromagnetic fields). Nikola Tesla developed a device called the Tesla coil, which generated high-frequency electromagnetic waves. Tesla believed that these waves could stimulate healing in the body. Today, Tesla's knowledge is launching technological and scientific revolutions in all industries, including medicine.
In the 1940s, an American scientist named Dr. Harold Saxton Burr conducted experiments on the electromagnetic fields of living organisms. Burr discovered all living organisms, including you, have a measurable electromagnetic field. Burr found changes in your electromagnetic field could indicate changes in the your health.
Starting in the 1950s, this technology caught the United States' government's attention. Due to the weightlessness and radiation exposure in space, the NASA space program developed PEMF technology to help astronauts deal with the effects of space travel. During the research, PEMF was found to be effective in preventing bone loss, maintaining muscle mass, and promoting tissue regeneration. The space program was not only "...one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" but also one giant leap for PEMF technology.
In the 1960s, researchers discovered that low-frequency EMFs could stimulate bone healing in nonunion fractures. Soon after this realization, the horse industry started developing devices that used EMFs to promote healing. By the 1970s, the horse industry was using EMFs to help treat fractures and injuries as well as using EMFs for warm-ups before competitions and recovery after competitions.
In the 1970s, research on the effects of EMFs on the human body gained more momentum after its success in the equestrian industry. Researchers began to investigate the use of EMFs to treat conditions such as chronic pain, inflammation, and depression.
Since then, PEMF therapy has been thoroughly researched by many institutes and governments around the world. Today PEMF therapy is approved by the FDA for the following conditions:
Nonunion Fractures (1979)
Post-Surgery Recovery (1987)
Urinary Incontinence (1998)
Muscle Stimulation (1998)
Depression (2006)
Brain Cancer (2011)
It's important that you note that although the FDA has approved PEMF therapy for these specific medical conditions, there are many other conditions for which PEMF therapy may be beneficial for you. However, more research is needed to fully understand the effects of PEMF therapy on these conditions.
As you can see PEMF therapy has a long history of being safe and effective and continues to evolve as companies development more advanced equipment that can target specific areas of your body. Today, PEMF therapy is used by healthcare professionals and individuals around the world to help manage a wide range of health conditions. Check out our blog post on What Does PEMF Do? for more information on how this technology works.