Do you feel difficulty in coping with routine activities? Can’t you recognize your family members, relatives, and friends? Do you hallucinate?
If so, then you might be having Alzheimer’s disease. Did you know? Statistics revealed that nearly 5 million people in the U.S. may have Alzheimer’s disease.
In that case, don’t worry! Try PEMF therapy. Wondering how PEMF helps in managing Alzheimer’s disease?
This article discusses how PEMF treatment can effectively manage Alzheimer’s disease with substantial scientific evidence.
Before getting into that topic, let us understand what Alzheimer’s disease is along with its causes and symptoms.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, the first person who described it. It is a brain disorder characterized by progressive and irreversible destruction of memory and the thinking ability of the brain.
In this condition, the connection between the neurons and the brain is disrupted. With the progression of the disease, performing daily activities too becomes difficult. It is the most common cause of dementia which is loss of the cognitive functioning of the brain.
Along with behavioral and mental changes, amyloid plaques and tangles of fibers (neurofibrillary tangles) in the brain are important features observed in Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease cannot be cured completely, the symptoms and signs need to be managed throughout the course of one’s life from the onset of the condition.
What causes Alzheimer’s disease?
The precise causes leading to Alzheimer’s disease are not well understood yet. In some cases, certain genes are thought to be linked with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Other factors like environmental factors and lifestyle-associated factors are known to play a role in progressive damage to the brain and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists across the world are studying the exact mechanism behind this disorder.
What are the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?
The onset of symptoms usually occurs after there has been sufficient damage to the brain. During this early period, the person may not experience any noticeable symptoms. These symptoms begin to arise later and may go on worsening with time.
Here is the list of signs and symptoms:
- Memory impairment begins to occur with damage to the hippocampus (part of the brain where memories are formed). Initially, the memory loss may not pose difficulty with everyday activities but goes on worsening with damage.
- Other cognition-related problems like impaired reasoning, problems in making a judgment, problems finding proper words, and problems with visual description.
- Further, it becomes difficult to perform daily tasks by taking more time to complete the task and repeating the same things often.
- Difficulty in handling money due to which the patient may feel lost.
- With worsening memory, the person may not recognize even family members and friends.
- It becomes difficult for them to perform multistep tasks like getting dressed, having difficulty in learning new things or coping with a new set of conditions.
- One may have delusions, hallucinations, and may behave impulsively
- At the most severe stages, the person becomes completely dependent on others’ help even for the simplest task.
- The patient may become bedridden in the final stage.
How does PEMF help in managing Alzheimer’s disease?
PEMF implies Pulsed Electro Magnetic Fields. It is an FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and NASA (The National Aeronautics and Space Administration) approved form of treatment that applies pulsed electromagnetic waves at a higher intensity and lower frequency rate.
PEMF treatment is applicable throughout the body or on specific affected portions of the body. This non-invasive traditional mode of therapy stimulates the regeneration of the affected nerve regions. As PEMF interacts with the cellular structures, it can accelerate the recovery of physiological conditions.
Furthermore, it can restore ATP production at an optimal level to provide energy to all body cells. Due to the quick recovery of the membrane potential of nerve cells, there could be an analgesic effect as well to reduce inflammation and pain.
PEMF devices are used for the production of PEMF waves on the target region. You will have to apply for 4-8 hours per day for 3-6 months to find a significant improvement in symptoms. Moreover, you can adjust the intensity according to the target region which ranges between 50 and 100 Gauss.
Furthermore, PEMF can improve the supply of oxygen to the brain, increase body circulation, and improve sleep patterns as well.
You can either apply the PEMF instrument during the daytime in case you are at home. Or else, if you are working, you can undergo this treatment in the night time. You can also use this device while sleeping as well. There is no specific duration of its use since there are no side effects due to its prolonged use.
Physicians usually recommend PEMF treatment with nutrition and physical therapy to promote recovery. However, females who are pregnant and do breastfeeding are not recommended to use PEMF instruments.
Is there any scientific evidence that can prove the effect of PEMF for Alzheimer’s disease treatment?
Yes. There are several research studies to prove the effect of PEMF against Alzheimer disease.
A 2017 research article published in the Journal of Healthcare Engineering reported that the low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic field waves could modulate neurophysiological circuits, thereby providing clinical benefits in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Another 1994 review article published in the International Journal of Neuroscience revealed that there was an improvement in visual memory by using PEMF devices at a low frequency between 5 and 8 Hz.
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain. Hence, the recent 2024 scientific article published in the Scientific Reports Journal showed that the repeated stimulation by electromagnetic fields reduced the deposition of amyloid plaques in the brain, thereby bringing significant improvement in symptoms.
Key Takeaway
Thus, PEMF therapy helps in providing lasting outcomes for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Are you interested in trying PEMF treatment?
You don’t have to visit the chiropractor or physiotherapy clinic to undergo PEMF therapy. Get PEMF equipment to use from the comfort of your home.