PEMF and Diabetes

Diabetes is a preventable disease that is afflicting more and more people worldwide.

If it is treated properly early on, it is reversible; oftentimes, however, its symptoms end up being ignored.

It is also a disease that is accompanied by various complications that affect different aspects of our health.

PEMF therapy is a form of treatment that could help in numerous ways those struggling with diabetes.

Unfortunately, not many people know about its range of benefits.

That is why this article will focus on sharing as much knowledge as possible about diabetes, and its treatment and prevention, as well as science-backed benefits of PEMF therapy.

 

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a serious and a lifelong illness that causes your blood glucose level to rise too high because your body is either not producing enough insulin, or the insulin does not work properly.

The two main types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2, but there are some other rarer types of diabetes, as well.

Type 1 diabetes is a health condition that is caused because the pancreas stops producing insulin altogether. Some people are born with it, and others develop it later on but usually very early in life. It is believed that it is an autoimmune disease. Patients suffering from type 1 diabetes need to take insulin shots for the rest of their lives.

Type 2 diabetes happens when the body is not able to produce enough insulin, or this insulin cannot perform its function properly for some reason. Type 2 diabetes is developed later on in life. Nowadays, it is common for it to appear as a consequence of a poor diet rich in fats and refined sugars. Overweight people are especially at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

Symptoms of Diabetes

In both of these types of diabetes, blood glucose cannot move into your cells, so its levels in your blood rise.

This causes numerous harmful symptoms. In the beginning, you have to urinate a lot, feel thirsty all the time, feel tired, and so on.

Later on, you may experience organ damage and failure, or even death, if left untreated.

The main symptoms that you should be looking for if you suspect diabetes are:

• Being very thirsty
• Urinating a lot
• Feeling hungry all the time
• Feeling tired
• Having cuts that don’t heal
• Having skin infections
• Weight loss (type 1)
• Weight gain (type 2)
• Blurred vision

These symptoms can be linked to other illnesses as well, and that is why they are often overlooked.

However, if you belong to a high-risk group, it is important not to let them slip.

 

Treatment of Diabetes

The treatment of diabetes involves different approaches. In many cases, unfortunately, it cannot be cured, but only controlled.

Type 1 diabetics need to take insulin shots several times a day for the rest of their lives.

On the other hand, since type 2 diabetes is a disease due to diet, patients are advised to exercise more, lose weight, eat more healthily, and so on.

PEMF is an important link in dealing with the complex health condition that diabetes is.

PEMF can affect blood glucose levels and treat certain complications of diabetes, as numerous studies show.

Let’s learn more about it.

 

How Can PEMF Therapy Help with Diabetes?

PEMF therapy is a completely non-invasive form of treatment from which many diabetic people profit.

In fact, it is so non-invasive that you can receive your therapy fully clothed.

Since PEMF works on a cellular basis, it is able greatly to help diabetic patients.

PEMF therapy also improves blood flow, which is very important in this case.

One of the complications of diabetes is reduced blood flow in the limbs, usually the feet, which can eventually cause gangrene and often requires amputation.

However, PEMF can help these people restore blood flow in the affected part of the body.

Since PEMF has positive effects on nerve regeneration as well, it can also restore the function of nerves in the afflicted areas.

Other ways in which PEMF can help with diabetes include:

• Reduces inflammation and pain
• Improves wound healing
• Improves pancreatic function
• Heals and regenerates nerves, tissues, and cells
• Improves liver function

 

A Study on PEMF and Diabetes

A study was completed in 2015 on the topic of PEMF therapy and chronic diabetic foot ulcers.

The main focus of the study was on the microcirculation in foot ulcers and the effects on it PEMF has.

It was conducted by Kwan RL, Yip SL, Wong WC, Cheing GL, and Zheng YP. (1)

This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, which is the most reliable way in which a study can be conducted.

The study took place in both a hospital and at a university, and involved 13 participants.

Seven were in the PEMF group, and 6 were in the control group.

All of them had unsatisfactory healing of diabetic foot ulcers.

The study lasted 3 weeks, during which participants received 14 sessions of either real PEMF stimulation or placebo stimulation.

The settings for the real PEMF stimulation were: Sixty minutes in duration, a frequency of 12 Hz, and an intensity of 12 Gauss.

 

Assessment and Results:

The assessment was conducted by looking at wound depth, wound closure, and microcirculation.

These assessments were performed before the study, at the end of the study, and during a 1-month follow-up.

The results of the study were encouraging. At the end of the treatment period, the PEMF group experienced 18% wound healing, compared to 10% wound healing in the control group.

Moreover, the PEMF group experienced 28% improvement in cutaneous capillary blood velocity, as well as a 14% improvement in capillary diameter.

By contrast, the control group showed a decrease in both capillary diameter and capillary blood velocity.

Therefore, the conclusion to which the researchers came was that PEMF therapy undoubtedly improved wound healing and microcirculation in patients suffering from diabetic foot ulcers.

If left untreated, unfortunately, this condition often progresses more and more; eventually, the only avenue left for these patients is amputation of the affected limb.

 

Other Benefits of PEMF Therapy

Apart from its significant benefits for people suffering from diabetes, PEMF therapy can help us in many other ways.

If used on a daily basis and in the right way, it can work miracles, helping to cure us of multiple diseases or at least alleviate their symptoms.

Take a look at some of the most common diseases with which PEMF can help.

 

Improves Range of Motion

When a person becomes afflicted by cervical osteoarthritis, one of the problems from which they suffer is a reduced range of motion.

This symptom ranges from mild to very severe; at its most severe, it can put a person in a wheelchair.

A study published in Clinical Rheumatology tried to discover whether PEMF therapy could help with this health condition.

The results they found were encouraging.

All patients in the study experienced increased range of motion, fewer muscle spasms, and less neck pain after the study was completed. (2)

 

Helps Bones Heal

Non-union fractures are serious complications that occur when a bone does not heal completely after an expected period.

Reasons for this condition are numerous, but the treatment usually involves complicated surgical procedures which are often risky.

Luckily, PEMF can help as well. A study was completed in Bangladesh in 1999 that examined whether PEMF can promote the healing of non-union fractures.

Over 14 weeks of treatment, 11 out of 13 participants in the study experienced successful bone healing, and eliminated the need for surgical intervention. (3)

 

Alleviates Arthritis Symptoms

Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that affects more and more people today.

Usually, older people are at risk, but we are seeing an increase in the younger population, as well.

The main symptoms of RA are pain, and joint swelling and inflammation.

Unfortunately, the causes are unknown, and the treatment is usually ineffective.

In 1999, a study was completed in India that linked PEMF therapy to positive effects on arthritis.

The participants in the study experienced improvements in their symptoms after receiving PEMF stimulation.

Seronegative patients benefited the most, but all participants reported positive changes. (4)

 

Induces Nerve Repair

In 1993, a study was conducted at the Bioelectromagnetics Society to see what effect PEMF had on nerve repair.

Specifically, the study targeted sciatic nerve injury. In the study, rats with sciatic nerve problems were used; the results were encouraging. (5)

When the rats in the study were pre-treated with PEMF, they experienced much quicker recovery from sciatica.

The mechanism is still not completely clear, but this finding offers new hope for anyone struggling with both acute and chronic sciatic nerve injuries.

 

Treats Migraines

If you suffer from frequent migraine attacks and no treatment has worked, you should know that PEMF offers a possible solution to your problem.

In 1999, a study was completed in the U.S. aiming to discover whether PEMF could offer any relief to people struggling with migraines.

The study lasted for one month, during which the participants received daily PEMF sessions.

After the completion of the study, all participants reported that they experienced migraines less frequently and, when they did, the attacks were much less severe. (6)

 

Promotes Blood Flow

Poor blood circulation can be a consequence of many different health conditions.

At the same time, it can lead to new and more serious health problems if left untreated.

The known treatment methods are often inefficient, or too invasive.

However, PEMF therapy can help with poor blood flow, as well.

It does this in two main ways: It causes vasodilation of blood vessels, and it charges the red blood cells which prevents them from sticking together and forming clots.

A study completed at Wake Forest University indisputably confirmed these benefits. (7)

 

Helps with Depression

Depression is the leading cause of disability in the modern world today.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 300 million people worldwide suffer from it.

Many of them – at least 30% – do not respond well to antidepressants, and their condition does not improve after taking them or even worsens.

However, a study performed on rats showed that PEMF can help significantly to alleviate depression symptoms.

More important, this is achieved with no side effects, which is not the case with antidepressants.

Therefore, PEMF has been shown to be one of the best alternatives to depression prescription drugs. (8)

 

Relieves Pain

PEMF can help greatly to reduce both acute and chronic pain. In a study completed in 1993, patients with pelvic pain received PEMF treatment on the affected areas.

After the completion of the study, all patients reported a significant decrease in the discomfort they felt. (9)

Even though this study was focused on pelvic pain, the effects of PEMF therapy are the same for all kinds of pain, and are achieved without any side effects.

 

Conclusion

As more and more people worldwide are becoming overweight or obese, diabetes is developing into a more pressing issue.

Any help that we can get in battling it is significant, and should be considered.

PEMF offers great help to those suffering from diabetes in many different ways.

Even though its benefits are predominantly focused on the complications of diabetes and their prevention, there are some indications that show PEMF therapy can also regulate blood glucose levels.

The difference between using PEMF to treat diabetic foot ulcers, as we could see from the study, and ignoring the issue, can be the difference between being fully or partially healed, and potentially risking amputation as the worst-case scenario.

By using a full body PEMF mat, these benefits will be evident not only in the unhealthy area, but in areas that we thought were completely healthy before.

Therefore, PEMF therapy is a form of treatment that should be considered by both individuals and clinics for its wide range of health benefits.