Fibromyalgia is one of the most widespread chronic diseases in the world. It is estimated that as much as 3-6% of the world’s population suffers from this disease.
It causes severe pain and discomfort in the muscles and bones, and mostly affects women – 75-90% of cases occur in females.
Unfortunately, modern medicine has still not been able to determine what causes fibromyalgia, and how to cure it.
Patients can treat the symptoms with powerful drugs, which may cause serious side effects in the long run.
PEMF therapy is also showing a lot of promise in keeping fibromyalgia under control and improving the quality of life in its patients; this will be the topic of this article.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease that is very hard to diagnose.
It is characterized by strong muscle and bone pains, fatigue, and areas of tenderness.
All of these are symptoms that can’t be verified by any tests.
The cause of the disease is also unknown, so fibromyalgia is very often mistaken for other diseases.
Because of the lack of effective tests, some medical professionals question the existence of this disease altogether.
Since fibromyalgia is often accompanied by depression, some doctors speculate that it is caused by this psychological disorder.
However, as medicine advances, so does our understanding of fibromyalgia.
Therefore, the acceptance of the validity of this disease is increasing, and the treatments for it are becoming less invasive and more successful.
One of the main characteristics of fibromyalgia is the so-called trigger points, or tender points, which are hypersensitive areas on the body where even the slightest pressure will cause pain.
These areas are also the source of a constant, dull pain, which can occur in many areas of the body.
If this kind of pain lasts for at least three months, your doctor can safely diagnose fibromyalgia.
Some other common symptoms include:
Medical professionals still do not know the exact causes of fibromyalgia.
However, thanks to years of research, we are closer to understanding many of its contributing factors.
These include:
Some theories also suggest that the cause of fibromyalgia is in the brain, due to certain chemical imbalances.
For some reason, the brain lowers the pain threshold, so even the smallest pain sensation is interpreted as severe.
Since the cause of fibromyalgia is still unknown, the only avenue modern medicine has is to address the symptoms.
The most common medications used are:
In addition to medication, a self-care regimen is also prescribed.
This includes diet, exercise, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, plenty of sleep, and other alternative forms of treatment such as PEMF.
PEMF is proving to be an effective way of dealing with symptoms without the risk of numerous side effects.
More and more studies support this approach, so let’s learn more about it.
When fibromyalgia is first diagnosed in an individual, they are most often prescribed painkillers to help them handle the pain.
However, over time, the effects of painkillers diminish as the body increases its tolerance, and the side effects become more prominent as the dose goes up.
However, decades of research show us that PEMF therapy can help a lot of patients suffering from pain, which is the case with fibromyalgia, as well.
One of the suspected causes of fibromyalgia is poor blood flow through and lack of oxygen to different tissues.
PEMF therapy can increase blood flow, which will, in turn, reduce pain, but reduce fatigue as well.
A lot of people are unable to sleep well because of the pain, which is the main cause of the fatigue they feel.
PEMF therapy also improves lymphatic system function.
In addition to carrying oxygen to tissues, blood vessels also remove toxins and byproducts from the blood and the lymphatic system.
With poor circulation, the lymphatic system becomes storage for toxins and dead cells, which leads to swelling, inflammation, and more pain.
In 2006, a study was conducted at the Lawson Health Research Institute in London, which aimed to prove the effects of low-frequency PEMF therapy on pain ratings in fibromyalgia patients.
The principal investigators of the study were Shupak NM, Nielson WR, McKay JC, Rollman GB, Thomas AW, and Prato FS. (2)
This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study conducted on human patients.
In addition to the pain ratings, the study also assessed the levels of anxiety in the participants.
The patients in the study were split into two groups: The group receiving PEMF, and the placebo group.
The PEMF group received an acute 30 minutes of PEMF stimulation of less than 3 kHz in frequency.
A total of 18 patients participated in the study, all female, the average age of whom was 51.
To assess the results of the study, the scientists used the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ).
The results of the study showed that there was a significant reduction in the reported pain levels when patients were tested before and after the treatment, using the MPQ scale.
However, there were no significant effects on anxiety levels for fibromyalgia patients.
Therefore, we can conclude that there is some initial support for the use of low-frequency PEMF stimulation as a viable way of treating symptoms of pain in fibromyalgia.
No side-effects were noticed during the study period, which means that PEMF therapy can be used regularly and long-term to keep these patients’ pain under control, and significantly improve their quality of life.
We’ve established that PEMF therapy can be used to help patients decrease their symptoms of fibromyalgia.
However, the positive effects of this treatment do not stop there.
PEMF therapy affects our cells and, through them, achieves the health benefits that we notice.
More than 70 trillion cells compose the entirety of our body, so PEMF has a large range of benefits.
Some of the most common ones include bone healing, relieving depression, addressing symptoms of arthritis, and so on.
A plentitude of studies has been completed, and many new ones are underway, that support these uses of PEMF for us.
You can find out more about them below.
Reduced range of motion is one of the most common symptoms of cervical osteoarthritis.
Other equally-severe symptoms include pain, muscle spasms, stiffness, etc.
Reduced range of motion usually affects the elderly, and the symptoms are the worst in the morning.
However, they never go away, except with the use of powerful medication.
However, research published in Clinical Rheumatology shows us that PEMF therapy can help, as well.
The results of the research showed that PEMF successfully relieved most of the symptoms associated with cervical osteoarthritis, improving the patients’ overall quality of life. (3)
Unfortunately, patients who have diabetes have much more to worry about than keeping their blood sugar levels in check.
Diabetes causes many health complications, one of which is known as diabetic polyneuropathy.
This condition affects the peripheral nerves in one or both parts of the body, causing numbness, pain, or other sensations.
A study in 2003 was conducted with the aim of observing the effects of PEMF on these symptoms in patients suffering from DPN.
After the completion of the study, all study participants reported significant improvement in their symptoms. (4)
Research completed in 1993 by the Bioelectromagnetics Society shows that PEMF therapy can improve the rate of nerve repair in mice.
Two groups of mice received injuries to their sciatic nerve, but only one group was pretreated with PEMF stimulation.
The group that was pretreated showed much faster rates of nerve repair, compared to the control group.
The mechanism behind this health effect is still unknown, but it offers patients suffering from nerve damage a new source of hope. (5)
Bone recovery is not a straightforward process, especially in older adults, or in people suffering from other chronic conditions.
When a bone does not heal properly after a certain time, it becomes classified as a nonunion fracture.
This condition often requires surgery, followed by a long recovery period.
However, according to a study conducted in Bangladesh in 1999, PEMF therapy can help nonunion fractures heal without the need for surgery.
In a 14-week study, 11 out of 13 patients who received PEMF stimulation experienced a full recovery from their fractures.
This shows PEMF is a form of treatment that should be duly considered. (6)
Unfortunately, depression is increasing in incidence in the world today, and our understanding of it is not growing at the same rate.
Because of this, a lot of patients do not receive proper treatment.
Antidepressants work well for some, but they fail to achieve positive results in 30% of cases.
Luckily, a group of Danish researchers proved that PEMF could help.
When used in conjunction with antidepressants, PEMF increased the positive effects of these drugs, and decreased their side effects.
Thus, even though PEMF should not be listed as the primary form of treatment, it is very powerful when used alongside medication. (7)
Those who suffer from frequent migraines have difficulty treating their symptoms.
Migraines are unpredictable, and their pain can be severe.
The only way to address the symptoms effectively is to use painkillers, but, over a long period, doing so can cause more harm than good.
A study conducted in 1999 in the USA showed that PEMF has numerous positive effects on migraines.
The patients who participated in the study received regular PEMF stimulation for one month; those who did reported much lower pain levels associated with migraines, and fewer migraines in general. (8)
Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world today.
Its symptoms include inflammation, swelling, and pain, and usually increases in severity as time goes by.
Right now, modern medicine does not know much about this disease’s causes, and treatment has seen varying success.
A study published in the Journal of the Indian Medical Association, in 1998, shows that PEMF can help patients relieve these debilitating symptoms.
During the study, seronegative patients experienced the most benefits, but all other patients reported improvement in their symptoms.
This puts PEMF high on the ladder of possible RA treatments. (9)
In sum, as time goes by and more and more studies on PEMF are completed, this form of treatment receives more of the credit it deserves.
More information is becoming available to patients with a variety of diseases who are looking for a new approach to treating their health problem.
PEMF therapy can, without a doubt, relieve pain in patients who have fibromyalgia, according to the study conducted in London in 2006.
Its pain-relieving effects are well-known for many other health conditions, as well.
One of the most important points to mention about PEMF is that this therapy can be used by both healthy and sick people.
It can be used both as a cure and a preventative measure, and the fact that it has no known side effects means that it can work well over a long period.
For fibromyalgia, the low-frequency setting on PEMF has proven to be the most beneficial, but higher frequencies can be useful, as well.
So do consider buying a PEMF device that supports both options, to achieve the widest range of benefits.
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.
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