As any good pet owner can attest, pet ownership can be nerve-wracking and expensive, between purchasing food, grooming, and taking care of medical expenses. While medications and grooming bills can be pricey, there is one type of medical intervention that need not carry a substantial price tag, despite carrying a substantial change in your pet’s health. This wunderkind is PEMF therapy, or a form of energy therapy that has been approved for safe use in animals. Before you rush to your local veterinarian’s office or leap to the computer to purchase your very own PEMF machine for yourself and your pet, a quick background and explanation of the intervention is in order.
What is PEMF Therapy?
PEMF therapy is a type of energy therapy, called Pulsed Electromagnetic Field therapy. Pulsed Electromagnetic Field therapy was created with the basics of magnetic therapy in mind, fusing the energy principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and long-standing magnetic therapy principles, by suggesting that the body is made up of energetic signatures and impulses, and those impulses can be manipulated—charged or damaged—by outside forces, such as PEMF therapy machines.
In animals, PEMF therapy functions in much the same way as it does in humans: the applicator is pressed against the animal in question—either on a specific area with a wand, or all over with a mat—and the pulses are administered in segments of 10-60 minutes, depending in part on the animal’s tolerance. During sessions, energy is delivered to the animal’s body in order to facilitate improved cellular function, and have a hand in improving the animals’ bodies ability to heal and carry out standard immunological functions.
Although PEMF therapy might seem to be something out of a sci-fi film, or a futuristic TV show, it has been in active use in the United States for over forty years. Although it has also ben used in human treatment during that time, it has largely been used as an animal treatment since the late 1970s, with great success in both large animals and small.
PEMF and Pets: Safety
Pets are beloved creatures, and most pet owners—whether they are indoor pets, outdoor pets, or livestock found on a farm—take great pains to make sure that their pets are treated with the utmost care and consideration. For that reason alone, many pet owners are hesitant to engage any kind of new therapy, including PEMF therapy. Thankfully, PEMF therapy is extremely safe for animals, and is one of the few interventions for both human and animal health that does not boast a slew of potential side effects. That being said, there are some changes pet owners may notice when their pets begin to use PEMF therapy. These might include changes to blood pressure, increased appetite, and increased feelings of fatigue. Some of these changes can be attributed to improved relaxation and decreases in pain, but can cause pet owners to feel some amount of alarm.
Never fear: PEMF therapy is extremely safe, and no animals to date have known to have a severe, dangerous, or allergic reaction to the treatment, making it not only an extremely effective intervention, but a blessedly safe one.
PEMF and Pets: What PEMF Treats
PEMF therapy is a versatile treatment method, and can be used to treat a variety of ailments in your pets. The most common reason to utilize PEMF therapy is to improve muscle performance and stimulation, which can be used to speed recovery times for racehorses and other animals used in competitive settings. PEMF therapy can help these animals recover from their competitions, which improves performance and enhances health.
PEMF therapy can also be used to speed an animal’s wound healing process following a procedure, which can eliminate the likelihood of getting a secondary infection, and ease the animal’s discomfort. The eponymous “cone of shame” can be extremely cumbersome for pet owners and pets alike, and quickened wound healing can alleviate the amount of time required to wear the “cone of shame.”
PEMF therapy has also been known to alleviate symptoms of depression. Though it may not be well-known, pets have been known to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, and PEMF therapy can help treat these issues in animals as thoroughly as they are treated in humans. Animals exhibiting depressive or anxious symptoms might show behaviors such as a lack of interest in playing, constant whining or vocalizing, sleeping more than is typical or normal, and eliminating in areas that are not designated elimination areas. PEMF therapy can help soothe the effects of these mental conditions, providing pets with healthier behaviors and mental states.
Finally, PEMF therapy can be used to treat pain, arthritis, and other conditions linked to old age in pets. Many pets develop joint issues as they age, which can make getting around difficult or painful, leading to mood changes. PEMF therapy can help soothe the joint pain brought about by arthritis, and can help animals more effectively move from place to place. With regular use, PEMF can help ease your pet’s pain, and improve their range of motion, which can improve overall mood and mobility.
Should You Consider Using PEMF Therapy for Your Pets?
While it can be nerve-wracking to start using any new type of therapy on a beloved pet, PEMF therapy is among the least problematic, invasive, and potentially dangerous treatment options available. This alone makes it an ideal treatment source for animals: animals’ systems are delicate and sensitive, and because many treatments and medications can have numerous side effects and potentially negative health effects, many pet parents are leery of taking on a new medication or therapy regimen. PEMF therapy does not involve side effects, timing issues, or even interference with other types of treatment, which can provide peace of mind for pet owners, their veterinarians, and pets, themselves.
PEMF therapy has been used for animals for over 40 years with great success. Animals often require a great deal of care and consideration, because they cannot communicate as clearly and effectively as human beings can. PEMF therapy is an intervention that will not require a great deal of communication, happily, as it does not come along with side effects, risks, or potential hazards.