PEMF (Pulse Electromagnetic Frequency) has been studied for a good thirty years for use in treating so many things from disease to sources of chronic pain. Granted, I had no idea what it was before I was approached to try the Oska Pulse. However, after I began researching it I was amazed at just how much science exists on this technology.
I was even more surprised as I talked to others about it and learned that I’d seen this technology in action and didn’t even know it. PEMF is commonly used to help bone healing. My mom had a pretty large PEMF device for her neck following a spinal fusion. A friend had a unit for his ankle after it was crushed in a car accident. Sadly, in both of these cases the units were heavy, expensive, and only able to be used for the certain areas (or for a certain amount of time).
If this is your first time hearing about PEMF or Oska Pulse, you may want to take a look at my earlier posts on how this thing has helped me. Original review and follow-up.
As I’ve continued to research PEMF technology I’ve found several studies that indicate that it can be helpful even on Fibromyalgia pain.
We still have no idea what caused my shoulder pain (whether it was “just Fibromyalgia” or something else), but Oska was the thing that helped stop the pain and gave me my life back. A couple of months ago I introduced my friend Norman at Men with Fibromyalgia to Oska Pulse and he was amazed pretty quickly, noticing some improvements within just a couple of uses.
Those initial improvements were nothing, though, in comparison to the improvements he’s seen in the months since (specifically a HUGE decrease in the need for pain meds).
But, what does the science say about PEMF and Fibromyalgia?
A small study in 2006 (Shupak et al) examined the effects of PEMF on the nervous systems of patients with fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis. Those in the treatment group were treated with PEMF for 30 minutes.
Those in the control group were given a sham treatment, with no difference detectable between the two for either the participants or the researchers. Pain, anxiety & depression scores were examined both before and after the treatments. Both groups (RA and FM) reported decreased pain levels after the PEMF treatment. However, the RA group saw more improvement.
A 2009 study by Sutbeyaz, Sezer, Koseoglu, & Kibar evaluated a larger group of Fibromyalgia patients using repeated 30 minute treatments (twice/day for 3 weeks). The 28 patients who received the PEMF treatment showed significant improvement on all scores (pain, anxiety, & depression) both at the end of the 3 weeks of treatment and continued to see improvements at the 12-week follow-up.
Obviously, more studies still need to be done, but this is a good start. Even better are the number of personal testimonials I’ve read in the last few months from those who have given Oska Pulse a try.
Norman isn’t my only friend who has managed to significantly cut down the number of pain meds needed in a day. Nor, am I the only who has been able to return to normal activities that I never thought I’d do again.
Oska Pulse is pretty amazing, but there are a few things you should know….
Oska Pulse is NOT a TENS device. PEMF and TENS are not the same thing. Where TENS blocks pain signals from reaching your brain, PEMF actively works at the cellular level to heal the problem causing the pain. Where TENS has to use wires and electrodes to emit a zap into your nerves, Oska Pulse doesn’t even have to touch you (and you feel nothing when it’s working).
Oska Pulse is safe to use and won’t harm those who come near you when you are using it (even your pets). In fact, it will help those who are near you. If you have an older pet that’s dealing with chronic pain it will help them move better. If you have others in your home who deal with chronic pain (or even just an acute pain) they will find it helpful also.
Oska Pulse can be used with other pain creams and ointments. Since Oska Pulse doesn’t have to touch your skin there’s no worries about using it with other pain creams or ointments (no need to clean them off first, like you would with a TENS or anything that adheres to your skin).
Oska Pulse can be used under or above clothing. Oska Pulse works at up to a 22″ radius, so it doesn’t have to touch your skin. I mostly leave mine sitting on the back of my chair. It comes with straps that will let you strap it on to your body (or you can use the straps to strap it onto a chair or a pillow).
Oska Pulse has a 30-day money back guarantee. Use the heck out of it for 30 days and if you aren’t seeing improvements to your pain, you can send it back for a full refund. Better yet, use Paypal financing and you don’t even have to pay for it for 6 months (so it’s a no risk venture).
If you have an HSA or FSA, Oska Pulse can also be purchased directly through your HSA/FSA store.
Save $55 on your Oska Pulse by using coupon code: COUNTINGSPOONS
References
Shupak, N. M., McKay, J. C., Nielson, W. R., Rollman, G. B., Prato, F. S., & Thomas, A. W. (2006). Exposure to a specific pulsed low-frequency magnetic field: a double-blind placebo-controlled study of effects on pain ratings in rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia patients. Pain Research and Management, 11(2), 85-90.
Sutbeyaz, S. T., Sezer, N., Koseoglu, F., & Kibar, S. (2009). Low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in fibromyalgia: a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical study. The Clinical journal of pain, 25(8), 722-728.
Related Posts:
- The fibromyalgia treatments that have helped me most
- What is an Oska Pulse and how has it changed my life?
- Why PEMF is my go to therapy for chronic pain
- Got urinary incontinence? Get PEMF
[…] positive review about it from a different chronic illness blogger. It is a little device that uses PEMF (Pulse Electromagnetic Frequency), a technology that’s also used in hospitals for bone healing […]