PEMF Therapy NYC - Dr. Alicia Armitstead

"Studies show that PEMF therapy helps with conditions like fibromyalgia, muscle pain, arthritis, depression, anxiety,  PTSD, Lyme’s, chronic fatigue and musculoskeletal pain. PEMF presents little to no side effects or drug-related contraindications. You can continue using prescribed medications while undergoing PEMF therapy sessions. 

-Dr. Alicia Armitstead

Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field Therapies at the Healing Arts NYC Health and Wellness Center in Manhattan NY 10017

PEMF is an acronym for Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field. PEMF therapy consists of a mat which emits pulses of energy waves. This energy courses through the body directly to inflamed or injured areas. The energy is also drawn to areas experiencing chronic pain. The energy waves of the PEMF mat passes through the organs and tissues and into the cells of your body, amplifying the cellular energy.

The increase in energy promotes a natural reaction that regenerates and enhances the efficiency of the cell’s function. This natural process stimulates healing and helps to improve your overall well-being including your mood. I couldn't wait to have a PEMF mat at the office!

As the energy goes into the body patients usually don’t feel anything. The energy is that subtle to not disturb the body’s natural process as it goes into the cells. besides giving cells energy it also helps Increase blood flow which is also part of the healing. With increased blood flow It is promoting an increase in the blood’s oxygen levels. In causing the body to have more oxygen that’s how chronic pain and stiffness is reduced. If you have frozen shoulder or any other really stiff joints PEMF helps with range of motion. 

PEMF therapy tunes the frequency of the brain cells and transforms it into a pattern that calms the brain, regulates circadian rhythms and then enhances sleep. PEMF therapy also makes the Pineal gland release more melatonin in darkness, which is an important hormone to enhance sleep quality.

PEMF therapy helps boost up the immune system. There are many factors involved in helping our bodies to build and maintain a strong immune system; eating well balanced meals, exercising, keeping our stress levels low, to name a few are within our daily control. 

Keeping our stress levels low ie: a calm autonomic nervous system is of great benefit to the immune system and PEMF treatments do just that. The electromagnetic waves have a calming effect on the autonomic nervous system as well as supplying more blood flow thus more oxygen to the whole body. For this reason I feel like the more calm we are during a PEMF therapy session the more electromagnetic energy our body can absorb and use. So try meditating during the session for greatest benefit and if you don’t meditate just take deep breaths and try to relax as much as you can. 

The body is an electrical system.  A person in good health has a charge of 70 to 100 millivolts. Aging, stress, poor diet or the environment can reduce this voltage. It has been found that a person with a cell voltage of 30 to 50 millivolts is likely to suffer from a chronic illness, and cancer is seen in people with less than 15 to 20 millivolts. It’s no coincidence the human heart, which is the most positively charged organ in the human body, never becomes cancerous.

Your body’s electrical charge has important consequences for your health. Because if your cells don’t have enough electrical charge, then your body will perform its functions inefficiently, your vital organs like your heart, nervous system, and digestive system will work below par and illness and disease are likely to result.  That’s why PEMF therapy is so important to your health. 

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a serious and complicated disorder characterized by extreme fatigue that lasts for at least six months that can be helped with PEMF. There are lots of reasons for CFS and is usually due to a combination of factors, including viral infections, hormonal imbalances, physical or emotional trauma, immune system problems, etc.

In people with CFS, the cells in the body have difficulty producing enough energy. For these patients, the symptoms of CFS may worsen after even minor physical, mental or emotional exertion. Through the increased motion of ions and electrolytes, PEMF therapy can help cells increase their energy by up to 500%. PEMF therapy is known as a safe and natural way to literally recharge your body and improve the symptoms of CFS. Symptoms include trouble sleeping and joint and muscle pain that people with CFS usually have. Both of those symptoms PEMF has been proven to help with.

By no means do I have CFS but the other day I did a PEMF treatment and put on the mode for energy and I swear to you I walked away feeling like I had just been on vacation. I felt like a million bucks and thank God, because with COVID I haven’t gone on vacation in a year and a half.  That’s what an increase of up to 500% felt like to me. 

About half of people with CFS develop depression, stress and anxiety at some point. Some drugs used to treat depression have other effects that might worsen some other CFS symptoms. PEMF therapy is a drug-free and safe method to help depression and mental wellness  It has been shown to have a dramatic effect on anxiety and depression in both chronic and acute forms.

Depression, Anxiety, Insomnia, and Mood Disorders

In 2006 the FDA approved the use of PEMF therapy for the treatment of depression and anxiety. PEMF therapy can also help with the insomnia that usually comes with anxiety. Insomnia, depression, and mood disorders have been related to abnormal serotonin levels, while PEMF therapy works well on the alteration of serotonin by exciting the neurons to dispense their own natural chemicals to help balance out deficiencies and restore normal brain function. Also, it can work on the areas of your brain that control mood by affecting the electrical activity of neurons to change the neuronal networks.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

PEMF has even shown to help many post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sufferers with their depression. PEMF therapy can deliver repetitive magnetic pulses that stimulate various nerve cells controlling depression and reducing re-experiencing symptoms. Many with PTSD often lack a sound, restorative sleep because of the traumatic events they have encountered. Low frequency PEMF devices can make them feel relax in the evening and help them fall and stay asleep. PEMF therapy also has positive effects on calming the brain and regulating circadian rhythms which have an important role in controlling sleep patterns and cycles.

Lyme's Disease

PEMF can also help Lyme’s patients. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection primarily transmitted by ticks. Lyme disease can affect brain, muscles and joints, lungs, heart, intestinal tract, etc. Lyme disease in the brain, is especially challenging to treat. Many medical treatments and nutritional approaches can not access the hidden Lyme bacteria in brain tissue, due to not be able to get through the blood-brain barrier. PEMF therapy has been shown to increase the diffuse-ability of the blood-brain barrier, allowing better access of treatments, supplements, herbs, and nutrients into the brain.

Inflammation, Circulation, Pain Relief

PEMF therapy can help with reducing inflammation, improving circulation, reducing pain and in general improving the therapeutic effect of other treatments. PEMF therapy can be a wonderful complementary therapy to your current treatment plan by boosting the immune system and stimulate the healing process.

Fibromyalgia

It’s amazing what I have seen it do for my fibromyalgia patients. If you suffer from fibromyalgia know that there is hope for I have seen PEMF therapy give absolute relief from Fibromyalgia and its symptoms. Some of you might not know what Fibromyalgia is. It is characterized by extreme musculoskeletal pain coupled with memory loss, lethargy, fatigue, and an imbalanced sleep cycle. In addition to that, Fibromyalgia also amplifies how our brain receives pain signals, thereby intensifying pain sensation.

This phenomenon leads to almost unbearable physical discomfort that eventually takes a toll on mental and physical health. Loss of productivity, lack of memory retention, decreased concentration, lack of sleep, and loss of motivation to carry out the simplest of daily tasks are all by-products of Fibromyalgia. The reasons for the onset of Fibromyalgia are varied. It can stem from stress, surgical after effects, or any mental or physical trauma. There are plenty of drugs and invasive surgeries to address the pain and reduce its intensity, but PEMF works remarkably well. So I knew if it could help with fibromyalgia it can help with other pain as well.

Pulse Electro-Magnetic Field Devices

There are different types of PEMF therapy devices. The type of device best suited for you will depend on your needs and preferred method of application. Most of the time I suggest the PEMF mat. It rests on the massage table and you lay on it, having electromagnetic pulses course throughout the entire body. These devices are a popular option for people suffering from fibromyalgia, inflammation or want more energy.

The full body mat energizes all of the cells in your body. Other accessory PEMF devices provide more direct pulses of energy for localized pain. For example, if you are having difficulties with pain in your knee joint, we have a PEMF ring at the office that is a beneficial option for delivery of pulses directly to the joint. you can also put the ring around your head if you suffer from headaches or migraines. I know it’s not always easy to come to the office with a migraine but it truly is the best time for a PEMF treatment. The application process is simple and easy. There is no need for special preparation or chemical agents. The energy waves go through your clothes too so you can lay on the massage table comfortably. 

Know that you can use PEMF with other treatments. PEMF presents little to no side effects or drug-related contraindications. This means that you can continue using prescribed medications while undergoing PEMF therapy sessions. 

Additional References

• PEMF Therapy The Wonders of Healing Using Energy Waves - Healing Arts NYC Podcast
• Clinical Trial Using Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields Treating Musculoskeletal Pain - National Library of Medicine
• Effect of Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields in the Treatment of Cervical Osteoarthritis - National Library of Medicine