Although many people have not yet heard of PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) therapy, it has been in the modern medical toolbox for over 50 years. At Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, our physiatrists, who specialize in pain relief and restoration of function, use PEMF to successfully treat patients with arthritic or muscular pain, slow-healing fractures, and multiple other problems on a regular basis.
If you are experiencing unrelieved pain, muscle weakness, fatigue, or other disturbing symptoms, contact us now so we can accurately diagnose your condition and provide you
with effective, nonsurgical treatments. In many cases, PEMF may be just what our doctors order.
What Exactly Is PEMF and How Does It Work?
It is important to understand that electromagnetic energy is a natural power source for the human body, at work in our brains, hearts, muscles, bones, and even skin. The idea behind PEMF therapy is that the low-frequency electromagnetic pulses it transmits penetrate the skin, reaching muscles and bones and activating individual cells to repair themselves.
In so doing, PEMF accelerates healing without medication or surgical intervention by:
- Increasing circulation
- Decreasing inflammation
- Increasing oxygenation of the blood
- Speeding bone healing after fracture
- Enhancing muscle function
- Relieving biological stress
At Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, we are laser-focused on obtaining positive results. For this reason, PEMF is only one of many traditional and complementary treatment options we offer. Depending on the nature of your complaint, we may recommend another therapy along with PEMF that will further enhance the healing process.
Conditions Addressed by the Healing Power of PEMF
Below are some of the symptoms and conditions pulsed electromagnetic field therapy is used to treat:
- Chronic Inflammation — Chronic inflammation can cause physical pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, digestive issues, and have a negative impact on the immune system.
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) — Chronic fatigue syndrome results in disabling fatigue for at least six months. Though it has no known cause, many patients with CFS have been helped by PEMF therapy.
- Peripheral Neuropathy — Peripheral neuropathy is the result of damage to the peripheral nerves located outside the brain and spinal cord. This condition commonly causes weakness, numbness, and pain in the hands and feet; it can also affect digestion, urination, and circulation.
- Fracture Nonunion — When a bone fails to heal properly after a fracture, it typically remains extremely painful. PEMF can hasten the bone-knitting process and lessen the pain.
- Sciatica — Sciatica is a condition that occurs when pressure is put on the sciatic nerve, the nerve that goes from the lower back down each leg. Whether such pressure is caused by a herniated disc, stenosis, or another spinal problem, it can result in severe pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in one or both legs.
- Tennis Elbow —Tennis elbow is a repetitive motion injury in which the elbow is inflamed and/or one of its tendons has suffered a micro tear, resulting in pain on the outside of the elbow.
- Osteo or Rheumatoid Arthritis — Whether arthritis is a result of the wear and tear of aging or of an immune disorder, the condition can cause inflammation, pain, and sometimes enlargement of the joints.
- Fibromyalgia — Fibromyalgia is a poorly understood disorder that causes pain and acute tenderness throughout the body, as well as fatigue and insomnia.
Remarkably, PEMF has proven effective as a treatment for a significant number of patients with the above disorders and many other muscular difficulties.
It should be noted that PEMF is FDA-approved for bone healing, wound care, post-operation knee pain and swelling, migraine headaches with aura, and clinical depression, and has been used by NASA to improve the cell viability of astronauts in outer space. PEMF is also popular with professional athletes as a means of relieving soreness and improving performance.
The Takeaway
Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy is a valuable tool for relieving musculoskeletal pain and inflammation and accelerating the healing process. Contact Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine today to find out whether PEMF is right for you.