Recent important studies show that PEMF therapy can inhibit epilepsy seizures.
This is good news for anyone suffering from this unpredictable disease, as every new treatment is an important piece to add to the healing puzzle.
PEMF therapy does not get as much credit in mainstream circles as other traditional medical approaches do.
We thus think that it is important to share the knowledge, and give people a chance to make better choices.
We’ll focus both on epilepsy and its basics, as well as on scientifically-based evidence for how PEMF can prevent the seizures and improve the overall health condition of patients who struggle with epilepsy.
What Is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a chronic health condition that causes unpredictable and recurrent seizures.
These seizures manifest as sudden strong electrical surges in the brain, and cause intense muscle convulsions.
The two types of seizures are generalized, and focal or partial, seizures.
Mild seizures sometimes go unnoticed, and last several seconds.
A severe seizure causes strong spasms and uncontrollable muscle twitches, and lasts for up to several minutes.
Epilepsy affects more than 65 million people worldwide.
People of all ages may develop epilepsy, but it is statistically more common in very young and very old individuals.
Symptoms of Epilepsy
Symptoms are different for every individual, and range from very mild to very severe.
A common symptom for generalized epilepsies is seizures.
Simple partial seizures do not cause loss of consciousness and memory.
Their symptoms are usually dizziness, changes in all five senses, and twitching and tingling of muscles.
Complex partial seizures cause loss of consciousness or awareness.
Their other symptoms are usually unresponsiveness, staring, and repetitive movements.
Generalized seizures affect the whole brain, and their symptoms are more severe.
There are six types of generalized seizures: Absence, tonic, atonic, clonic, myoclonic, and tonic-clonic.
Their common symptoms include muscle convulsions, loss of bladder or bowel control, loss of consciousness, biting of the tongue, and so on.
Causes and Triggers of Epilepsy
In 60% of epilepsy cases, the causes cannot be determined.
However, most common causes include brain injury, high fever, stroke, lack of oxygen to the brain, vascular diseases, brain tumor, maternal drug use, Alzheimer’s, and many others.
Epilepsy seizures are usually triggered by a variety of sensations.
These can be difficult to recognize, but some patients manage to learn what they are and avoid them.
The most common triggers are illness or fever, lack of sleep, stress, stimulants, bright and flashing lights, and irregular eating habits.
Treatment of Epilepsy
Unfortunately, epilepsy cannot be cured, even though it sometimes spontaneously disappears on its own.
The treatment focuses on managing the seizures, preventing them, and making them milder.
Some common treatment options include vagus nerve stimulators, anti-epileptic drugs, brain surgery, or a ketonic diet.
Another form of treatment that is gaining traction and recognition in epilepsy circles is PEMF therapy.
PEMFs are minimally invasive, and carry no risk of side effects.
Studies show that PEMF is able to inhibit epileptic seizures.
It rewires the brain by sending to it electromagnetic stimulation, and prevents the electrical surges in the brain that happen in epilepsy patients that cause seizures.
Let’s learn more about its science-based methods!
PEMF Therapy and Epilepsy
When talking about epilepsy and PEMF, it is important to note that there is no evidence that PEMF can cure your epilepsy.
However, there is substantial evidence showing that PEMF can improve your condition significantly.
It can reduce the number of seizures that you suffer, and make them less extreme when they do happen.
We do not claim that traditional medicine is unhelpful, or is bad, for you.
It is the primary therapy for epilepsy for good reason.
However, the cost-benefit ratio is not very good with epilepsy medication because of the numerous side effects that come with it.
On the other hand, there is no evidence of any PEMF-related side effects.
Most studies that have examined the effects of PEMF on epilepsy show that very low-frequency PEMF stimulation is beneficial for reducing symptoms.
However, it is not yet clear whether high-frequency stimulation would yield better results.
To establish that, further studies are required, and we encourage them.
The only thing that is certain about PEMF use for epilepsy is that it should be applied on a daily basis.
Because of the nature of epilepsy, which is an unpredictable disorder, PEMF therapy should be included daily in order to decrease maximally the chances of seizures.
PEMF and Epilepsy Study
In 2013, a group of scientists from the Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Malpete University, Istanbul, Turkey, decided to examine how PEMF therapy might impact epileptic seizures.
Scientists in charge of the study were Cinan R, Erdinc OO, and Sahin S. (1)
As the scientists explain, their aim was to investigate the effects of different frequencies and durations of PEMF stimulation in mice on epilepsy induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ).
The study included 180 four-week old male mice, weighing between 25-30g. Each group of mice consisted of ten.
They received PEMF stimulation of 100, 300, 500, 700, and 900 MHz for 2, 12, or 20 hours.
After the exposure to PEMFs, each mouse was injected intraperitoneally with PTZ (60 mg/kg).
The control groups were also injected with PTZ, but did not receive PEMF exposure.
The latency of the initial and the most severe seizure was compared to control groups.
The results show that the shortest latency of initial seizure was seen in the 12h/700 MHz group.
Overall, the initial seizure latency was much lower in the 2-hour groups, compared to the 12-hour and 20-hour groups.
However, there was no major difference between the 12-hour and 20-hour groups.
There was a much more significant difference between the controls and the 2-hour and 10-hour PEMF therapy groups.
In regard to the most severe seizure latency, there was no notable difference between the 2-hour, 12-hour, 20-hour, or control groups.
To conclude, the scientists said that exposure to PEMF stimulation may reduce the number and severity of seizures.
However, this effect was independent of PEMF exposure time.
Further studies are required, though, to determine what the best approach to PEMF therapy for epilepsy is with respect to the frequency, amplitude, and duration.
Other Benefits of PEMF Therapy
People who are discovering PEMF therapy for the first time are surprised at its versatility.
PEMF therapy can treat or help treat numerous different ailments. It can help heal all parts of the body.
PEMF therapy can also be used by animals, and healthy people can benefit from it, too.
If you have plants, there is no reason why they shouldn’t enjoy the benefits of PEMF as well.
All of these benefits are supported by evidence from numerous studies conducted around the world, mostly in the past 20 years when PEMF therapy has exploded in popularity.
Make sure you check out our summary of the most important scientifically-proven health benefits of PEMF therapy.
Faster Wound Healing
From little scrapes caused by children’s games to serious lesions due to surgery and disease, PEMF therapy can help wounds heal quickly and successfully.
Chinese scientists conducted a study in 2014 with the aim of investigating how PEMF could affect wound healing.
The subjects of the study were rats suffering from diabetes with induced wounds.
The results showed that those rats who received PEMF stimulation showed much more advanced degrees of healing, compared to the control group. (2)
Offers Relief for Scleroderma
Scleroderma is a skin disorder that can affect anyone.
It is characterized by the overproduction of collagen, which causes the skin to thicken and lose its elasticity.
In the beginning, it is very mild, but as it progresses it increases in severity, and affects the patient more and more.
A study can be found in Dr. Pawluk’s book on the benefits of PEMF for scleroderma.
Dr. Pawluk notes that the patients in the study experienced 95% improvement in three areas important for scleroderma: Seating, reflexes, and ulnar nerve function. (3)
Reduces Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis can manifest with very mild symptoms, or it may lead to a patient’s complete disability.
Patients suffering from multiple sclerosis usually experience reduced quality of life, and sometimes cannot be fully independent.
A study conducted in 2003 investigated the effects of PEMF on multiple sclerosis.
The study mainly focused on symptoms related to quality of life and fatigue.
The results of the study proved that PEMF therapy significantly decreased the feeling of fatigue in MS patients, and improved their overall quality of life. (4)
Lowers Eye Pressure in Glaucoma
The eye pressure that occurs in glaucoma can lead to serious consequences, including complete loss of vision.
It is caused by an obstruction in the flow of fluids within the system of the eye, and there is evidence that PEMF therapy can regulate this mechanism.
A study conducted in Russia in 1990 showed that PEMF therapy could successfully reduce eye pressure in patients suffering from glaucoma.
In the study, patients received 7 minutes of stimulation a day, which proved to be enough to achieve positive results. (5)
Reduces Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation
Heart palpitations caused by atrial fibrillation can be not only very uncomfortable, but potentially life-threatening.
Most of us experience this symptom at some time during our lives, but for some people, it can become a real struggle.
A conjoined effort of Chinese and American researchers led to a study in 2015 that proved that PEMF therapy could regulate the irregular heartbeat caused by atrial fibrillation.
Therefore, PEMF therapy can be used to manage the disease, and stop it from increasing in severity. (6)
Helps with Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia.
It affects the elderly, is progressive, and can become severe after a short period.
It cannot be completely cured, but its symptoms can be controlled by various means, including PEMF therapy.
Researchers at the University of Toronto conducted a study in 2010 to see whether PEMF could help patients struggling with Alzheimer’s.
They concluded that PEMF stimulation to the brain could change its neural activity in patients with Alzheimer’s, slow the progression of the disease, and prevent its onset. (7)
Alleviates Pain
Painkillers offer solace to many patients suffering from different kinds of pains.
Painkillers are very effective in the short term for acute pain.
However, in the long term, for chronic pain, painkillers can do more harm than good.
They cause too many side effects to be taken safely long-term.
That is why one study conducted at the International Pain Research Institute is important, as it shows that PEMF therapy can reduce pain.
Patients with pelvic pain were included in the study, and all of them reported much lower levels of pain after the end of the study.
On top of that, PEMF therapy does not cause any side effects and can, therefore, be used for a long period without any consequences. (8)
Conclusion
PEMF therapy is not some miracle approach that can cure epilepsy.
Unfortunately, there isn’t yet such a treatment.
However, PEMF therapy can significantly decrease the chances of epileptic seizures, and reduce their severity.
It can be used every day at home, at the patients’ convenience, without any risk of side effects.
So far, the studies that have examined the use of PEMF for epilepsy show that low-frequency PEMF stimulation is very beneficial in such cases.
Whether high-frequency PEMF stimulation can also be helpful remains to be proven by further studies.
It is not recommended that PEMF therapy be used as the primary and only approach to treating epilepsy.
However, in cases when traditional medication is not producing good results, or the side effects are too serious, PEMF therapy can be used as a primary treatment.
Even if it used only as an additional therapy, it can still yield positive results.
This way, the amount of medication necessary can be reduced, and possible side effects can be reduced as well.
Richard Hoover is a PEMF expert and content contributor to PEMF Advisor. With a bachelor’s degree in physics and multiple certifications in natural health programs, he is one of the best PEMF experts around.