Effects Of Pemf Therapy On Brain
PEMF therapy has been found to be highly effective for a variety of brain disorders including Parkinsons disease and Alzheimers as well as depression, stress and anxiety. PEMF therapy utilizes frequency modulated electromagnetic fields for brain stimulation. The reason why PEMF works so well is that it is able to improve cellular oxygenation. This effect of PEMF helps in depression treatment and also has the potential to treat the entire body using full-body PEMF mat.
Nitric oxide is an important molecule that is produced by almost all cells in the body. It helps in vasodilation or keeping the blood vessels supple and strong. In 2018, scientists from Institute of Anatomy, Germany conducted a study to investigate the cellular mechanism of PEMF and found that PEMF can trigger voltage-gated calcium channels and may help in production of nitric oxide. They concluded that used correctly PEMF can ultimately lead to reduced inflammation and improve cellular resilience.3
When cellular dysfunction occurs, Reactive Oxygen Species also known as free radicals thrive and can lead to cancer and many other conditions and symptoms including depression. PEMF therapy has been found and is commonly accepted to be an effective technology to modulate ROS production and thereby enhance cellular energy levels. 4
Problems With Current Therapies
Depression is very common, with a lifetime rate of over 20% in the USA. It is estimated to be the leading cause of disability in developed countries worldwide by the World Health Organization. In depressed patients who do see improvement with treatment, relapse rates are 37-70% in the first year. Many are treatment-resistant, that is, falling to improve after 3 or more treatment trials. There are very few effective options left for these treatment-resistant people.
Current antidepressant therapies for treatment-resistant depression, including drugs, ECT , or rTMS , have little immediate benefit and ECT or rTMS often have to be applied many times, as well as having other issues with their application. Some high-intensity rTMS PEMF devices have been approved by authorities around the world, including the FDA.
Drugs typically need 4-6 weeks to be clinically meaningful. ECT has failure rates of 65% or higher, requiring 2-3 treatments per week for 3-4 weeks for full effect. These time lags leave people vulnerable to the disabling symptoms of depression, including higher risk of suicide in the first few weeks of therapy.
It is these problems with current standard therapies that have driven the search for treatments that will produce rapid results, which will hopefully translate into long-lasting results too. It would also be helpful to have treatments that can be applied in the home daily, not just periodically in a doctors office, clinic or hospital.
Alcohol Tobacco And Other Drugs
The misuse and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and prescription medications affect the health and well-being of millions of Americans. SAMHSAs 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that approximately 19.3 million people aged 18 or older had a substance use disorder in the past year.
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Therapy For Stress Anxiety And Depression
Traditionally therapy is employed when treating depression, anxiety and stress. There are many individual and group therapies most of which are aimed at teaching the individual to confront their fears as a coping mechanism. These require a significant time commitment, and it may take several rounds to focus in on the most effective area. However, not all causes are phycological, and even ones that are still involve the chemistry of the brain
Is A Pemf Device The Same As A Tens Unit
A PEMF device isnt the same as a TENS unit. Although both can be in the form of small, portable units, they have very different effects on the body and work in different ways. With a TENS unit, it uses a low-voltage electric current to stimulate the nerves.
In contrast, a PEMF device uses magnetic fields that are applied to the whole body and with some devices to specific areas of the body, with the purpose of improving cellular health.
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Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy: Worth The Hype
What is pulsed electromagnetic field therapy? PEMF therapy is a pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, also known as a PEMF therapy, that uses technology to stimulate and exercise cells in order to improve cellular function and improve overall health. According to Dr. Christopher Williams, owner of Interventional orthopedics of Atlanta, its therapeutic benefits can be seen in his patients from throughout Atlanta. How much does a PEMF machine cost? The PEMF devices are priced and come with a variety of features, and the majority of them are at a low intensity. Our lowest-priced models start at around $200 and reach $300 in price. Can PEMF be harmful? The findings revealed that long-term exposure to PEMF causes oxidative damage to both the liver and the spleen. Is the PEMF legal? PEMF therapy is claimed to be beneficial for fracture treatment, but the evidence is inconclusive, and clinical practice is not informed by it. PEMFs are not generally used to treat bone and osteochondral defects. Despite this, there is a significant body of evidence that supports ELF-PEMF treatment.
What Are Depression And Anxiety
Depressionis a sustained feeling of dejection and despondency. Clinicians have identifiedvarious causes and contributing factors including abuse , certainmedications, conflict, death or a loss, genetics, personal problems, and majorillnesses. Some doctors and scientists believe depression is associated with an imbalance of neurotransmittersamong neurons in the brain. In the case of depression, they relate thecondition to inadequate levels of serotonin. The symptoms of depression caninclude sleep disturbances, lack of appetite, withdrawal from others, and evensuicidal thoughts and intent.
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Traditional Treatments Include Therapy And Medication
Traditionally therapy is employed when treating depression, anxiety and stress. There are many individual and group therapies most of which are aimed at teaching the individual to confront their fears as a coping mechanism. These require a significant time commitment, and it may take several rounds to focus in on the most effective area. However, not all causes are phycological, and even ones that are still involve the chemistry of the brain.
Therefore, medications are employed to treat mental health and normalize the chemistry of the brain. There are myriads of medications manufactured to alter the chemistry of the brain in order to treat anxiety and stress.
Some medications are designed to block the reabsorption of serotonin in order to improve the mood. However, the side effects include insomnia or sleepiness, along with sexual dysfunction, weight gain, stomach upset, headaches, increased blood pressure, etc.. Anxiety can be produced because of the side effects, and can mitigate the benefit of the medication supposed to be reducing anxiety.
Other medications such, as Benzodiazepines, are designed to promote calming and relaxation, plus reduce physical symptoms of anxiety such as muscle tension. These drugs work on the brain the same way that opioids such as heroine and cannabinoids such as cannabis do by turning on the dopamine hormone in the brain. However, many of these are not tolerated well and will lead to dependence.
Benefits Of Pemf Therapy
PEMF is used to treat a variety of conditions including pain, anxiety, depression and improve the quality of life for people , as well as chronic medical conditions .
- Improves cellular health, communication, and function
- Support efficient cell function and regeneration
- Restores damaged tissues
- Calms the brain and body
- Help to decrease therapy resistance and break through physical and emotional blocks
- Create synergies with other allopathic and integrative modalities to improve results
- Safe and effective
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The Harvard Study On Pemf And Depression
After observing mood elevation in patients suffering from bipolar affective disorder, a group of researchers at Harvard decided to create a mobile version of a PEMF device, able to produce a frequency of 1000 Hz.
This led to a study called Rapid mood-elevating effects of low field magnetic stimulation in depression, conducted by Rohan ML, Ravichandran CT, Yamamoto RT, Morales OG, Cavetano KR, Vitaliano G, Olson DP, Cohen BM, and Paul SM.
The study observed how low field magnetic stimulation affected patients suffering from depression.
The method used was a double-blind, placebo-controlled protocol with depressed patients suffering either from BPD or major depressive disorder.
Participants received only one 20-minute treatment.
After that, their change in mood was tested using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule scales, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the Visual Analog Scale.
Significant improvement, more than 10%, was observed after the treatment using these tests, compared to the placebo group which showed no improvement.
This led the researchers to conclude that LFMS stimulation can produce changes in mood quickly using a range of electromagnetic fields that were not tested before.
However, it is still unclear how PEMF therapy works to relieve depression.
Some theories suggest that this low-frequency treatment causes neurons in our brain to vibrate at the same frequency as the PEMF.
Benefits Of Pemf Therapy For Depressive Disorders
Let us now learn about the benefits of PEMF for depression and anxiety disorders based on published clinical trials.
In a double-blind pilot study utilizing low field magnetic stimulation which is nothing but a PEMF field surrounding the brain at an intensity lesser than 30 Gauss, it was concluded that such brain stimulation can have mood-enhancing effects for treatment-resistant depression.7
In a comparative study of brain stimulation technologies including electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, thera burst, transcranial direct current stimulation , it was concluded that these non-invasive brain stimulation therapies can be considered as alternative treaments for adults with major depressive disorders.8
In a 12-week clinical trial of PEMF therapy for treating depression, pain, anxiety and quality of life in cervical disc herniation patients, it was found that PEMF can be safely used and provided significant improvements over treatments such as TENS and Hot Pack therapies in a longer timeframe.9The results are not very surprising for us as found PEMF to be much superior to TENS, microcurrents and electrical stimulation long ago. One of the primary reasons is that none of the other treatments really address the brain or the whole-body like PEMF can.
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How Does Magnetic Pulse Therapy Ease Depression
One of the key ways that magnetic field therapy may help alleviate depression is by improving sleep. Depression worsens sleep, leading to more restless nights overall.
PEMF therapy can imitate the brains natural rhythm at rest and train the brain to follow that rhythm. In this way, it can promote deep sleep.
Moreover, PEMF therapy can address the hormonal imbalances that may, for some people, be associated with anxiety and depression issues. Magnetic pulse therapy addresses these imbalances by penetrating deeply and directly into the brain.
PEMF can affect the glucose metabolism of brain regions linked to anxiety and depression. It can also change certain neuron networks and their electrical activities, altering brain regions that control mood.
Some believe that PEMF therapy also benefits depression through its effects on nitric oxide. This important molecule helps with vasodilation or keeping the blood vessels supple and strong.
In 2018, scientists from the Institute of Anatomy, Germany, conducted a study to investigate the cellular mechanism of PEMF. They found that PEMF can trigger voltage-gated calcium channels, which may help in the production of nitric oxide. They concluded that, when used correctly, PEMF can lead to reduced inflammation and improved cellular resilience.
In a research review by scientists from the University of Groningen, Netherlands, it was shown that PEMF produces antidepressant effects due to its effects on local brain activity and connectivity.
Does Pemf Therapy Help Depression
PEMF has been under active research from more than 60 years. To learn how PEMF therapy helps depression and the level of effectiveness, its pertinent to identify the root cause of various depressive disorders and then research the effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on these conditions.
Some of the causes of major depressive disorders include neuroinflammation, unbalanced hormones, genes, stress, trauma, cancer and hypothyroidism. So we can see that depression can be symptom to many other health conditions. Also there is evidence piling that shows a direct link between impaired blood flow1 and hypoxia in the brain and mood disorders including anxiety and depression. There is also research that points to higher depression in those with chronic hypoxic conditions such as COPD, heart disease and stroke.2 Therefore, these conditions, i.e., blood flow and oxygenation must be addressed for depression to heal.
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Are You Looking For Solutions For Your Struggling Child Or Teen
Dr. Roseann and her team are all about solutions, so you are in the right place!
There are 3 ways to work with Dr. Roseann:
You can get her books for parents and professionals, including:Its Gonna Be OK: Proven Ways to Improve Your Childs Mental Health, Teletherapy Toolkit and Brain Under Attack: A Resource For Parents and Caregivers of Children With PANS, PANDAS, and Autoimmune Encephalopathy.
If you are a business or organization that needs proactive guidance to support employee mental health or an organization looking for a brand representative, check out Dr. Roseannsprofessional speaking page to see how we can work together.
Dr. Roseannis a Childrens Mental Health Expert and Therapist who has been featured in/on hundreds of media outlets including, CBS, NBC, FOX News, PIX11 NYC, The New York Times, The Washington Post,, Business Insider, USA Today, CNET, Marth Stewart, and PARENTS. FORBES called her, A thought leader in childrens mental health.
Pemf Devices And Anxiety
In addition, PEMF devices have been shown to help with anxiety. Again, anxiety is an extremely common condition. In America, 18.1% of adults deal with an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can manifest in a number of ways. Generalized anxiety disorder refers to consistent feelings of anxiety that arent necessarily prompted by specific external factors. However, panic attacks are also linked to anxiety and can be hugely disruptive to ones daily life. Because anxiety disorders are so prevalent and can be crippling for those dealing with them, its extremely important to find new ways to combat this epidemic.
Luckily, like with depression, PEMF devices have been found to safely and effectively help people treat their anxiety. Again, the idea is to stimulate the cells in the brain in order to optimize them and restore normal cellular functioning. When this happens, the chemical processes in the brain should be able to work more normally, which can lead to a reduction in mental health symptoms.
In addition, brainwaves, or neural oscillations, can also be monitored in people with mental health illnesses. Theyve been shown to be disrupted in patients who are dealing with mental health issues. However, brain stimulation through the use of electromagnetic fields is being studied as a way to normalize neural oscillations. In this way, PEMF devices can be used to treat mood disorders such as anxiety.
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This Wearable Pemf Headband Helps With Overall Wellbeing Of The Mind And Body
If you follow the latest health trends, then you may have probably seen the acronym, PEMF, which stands for Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Frequency. Being the ever curious health consumer, I decided to test out what I found in my rabbit-hole of research to be one of the most user-friendly devices availablethe NeoRhythm by OmniPemf.
NeoRhythm
Courtesy of Omnipemf
OmniPemf was founded by Marko Kadunc , Janez Decman , and Leon Herman, who does not play an active role in the company, in 2016. I am the one that oversaw innovating and developing the product. I always found PEMF technology relevant since there is an enormous number of peer-reviewed studies that support the effects. That is why we are experiencing success and the device is one of the most sold wellness devices, Kadunc tells me. Although currently, the NeoRhythm wearable is a wellness device, our future goals include taking it from wellness to medical. We are working on a 13485 certification that is supposed to be done by the end of the year. The plans involve a lot of things including focusing on pain and depression.
NeoRhythm
NeoRhythm
Courtesy of Omnipemf
NeoRhythm
NeoRhythm
Courtesy of Omnipemf
This is why having an at-home PEMF device can greatly improve the quality of life for people.
NeoRhythm
Pemf For Anxiety And Depression Vs Prescription Medications
The differences between using PEMF therapy for anxiety and using anti-anxiety medications couldnt be starker. Anti-anxiety meds and antidepressants can be harsh on the body, which is why many medications have numerous side effects. PEMF, on the other hand, is a safe, painless and soothing technique that simply involves lying on a mat.
Before we break down some of the negative side effects of such medications, its important to note that anyone suffering from severe anxiety or depression should speak to a medical professional immediately. Every person is different and depending on your specific situation, your physician may in fact recommend medication as a supplement to using PEMF therapy for anxiety and depression.
Still, its no secret that anti-depressants have known side effects to be aware of. Here are a few examples of the side effects of common medications, including:
- Citalopram side effects: Headache, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, increased sweating, feeling nervous, restless, fatigue or having trouble sleeping .
- Escitalopram rarer but possible side effects: Coma, confusion, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, headache, muscle pain / cramps, nausea or vomiting, seizures, swelling, fatigue.
- Fluvoxamine : Nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, weakness, sweating.
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How To Manage Anxiety And Depression Using Pemf Technology
Psychreg on Psychotherapy
Anxiety and depression are invisible disorders that can have a significant impact on the quality of life for many of the millions of Americans who suffer from them. Exhaustion, poor sleep, and intense melancholy, concern, emptiness, or hopelessness are all symptoms of mood disorders.
Physical problems might arise in addition to the emotional effects of depression and anxiety. Digestive problems, headaches, and persistent discomfort are examples of these.
When it comes to sadness and anxiety, statistics offer a grim picture. According to the most recent data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 17.7 million adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2018, which is defined as a period of at least two weeks during which they experienced depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, as well as problems sleeping, eating, energy concentration, or self-worth.
The National Comorbidity Study Replication, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, revealed that nearly one-fifth of adults had an anxiety episode in the previous year, and that an estimated 31.1% of the population nearly one-third of the population suffers from an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.