I am currently using PEMF (pulsed electro magnetic frequency) therapy on a daily basis, for 30 minutes -- since August 5, 2022.
In a previous post I detailed the specifics of my therapy. So I won't go into further details here...
Other than to say that with using my new PEMF matt ... my 2-year nagging ache in the back of my right shoulder... has remained 99.9% ... GONE...
Placebo? I don't know. Or care.
Just know that I have tried MULTIPLE modalities (I have a home sauna. I have a high-end reverse gravity massage chair. I have a vibration plate machine. etc etc etc) And NONE of these worked to relieve me of my persistent pain.
I have further researched Trancranial Magnetic Therapy and have found several IMPORTANT CLINICAL STUDIES that support this treatment.
We all know -- and rightly are suspicious -- of various claims made by manufacturers of various supplements and devices and surgical / invasive treatments to relieve our symptoms.
And -- because nearly all of us are using multiple modalities to treat our symptoms ...it's very hard to discern which of our treatments (if any) are having a beneficial effect.
Methods: Six patients with Parkinson's disease exhibiting impaired performances on the Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) were enrolled. Under electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring, rTMS was performed using a concave circular coil once a week for three months. A 0.2-Hz rTMS was applied over the frontal region (Fz) at an intensity of 1.2 x the motor threshold of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) for a total of 100 stimuli per session. The Trail Making Test part B (TMT-B), WCST, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Revised (WAIS-R), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and 20 m Walk time were evaluated before and after rTMS. Subjective symptoms and objective findings were also evaluated.
Results: Significant improvements in the TMT-B and WCST scores after rTMS were observed for all six patients. In addition, the subjective symptoms and objective findings also improved. The 20 m walk time decreased significantly in all four subjects after rTMS. The SDS scores improved in four of the five subjects, although the differences between the baseline and follow-up scores were not significant. No significant improvements in the WAIS-R, FIM scores were observed.
Conclusions: Low-frequency suprathreshold rTMS applied over bilateral prefrontal areas alleviated impaired set switching in Parkinson's disease. These results suggest that rTMS can affect the functional recovery of the frontostriatal circuit.
"The clinical benefits of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for Parkinson's disease (PD) remain controversial. We performed a comprehensive study to examine whether rTMS is a safe and effective treatment for PD."
"Twelve PD patients received rTMS once a week. The crossover study design consisted of 4-week sham rTMS followed by 4-week real rTMS. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Modified Hoehn and Yahr Stage, Schwab and England ADL Scale, Actigraph, Mini-Mental State Examination, Hamilton Depression Scale, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-revised, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examinations were used to evaluate the rTMS effects."
"Under both drug-on and drug-off conditions, the real rTMS improved the UPDRS scores significantly, while the sham rTMS did not. There were no significant changes in the results of the neuropsychological tests, CBF and CSF. rTMS seems to be a safe and effective therapeutic option for PD patients, especially in a wearing-off state."
"Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) utilize frequencies in the range 5–300 Hz with very specific shapes and amplitudes."
"Several clinical trials have pointed out the therapeutic efficacy of TMS in PD patients [3, 31, 56, 57]. For example, biomagnetic measurements performed using magnetoencephalography (MEG) in 30 patients affected by idiopathic PD exposed to TMS evidenced that 60% of patients did not exhibit tremor, muscular ache or dyskinesias for at least 1 year after TMS therapy [58].
"Cortical excitability of the primary motor cortex is altered in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Therefore, modulation of cortical excitability by high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the motor cortex might result in beneficial effects on motor functions in PD."
"The present study aims to evaluate the effect of rTMS of the motor cortex on motor functions in patients with PD. Thirty-six unmedicated PD patients were included consecutively in this study."
"The patients were assigned in a randomized pattern to one of two groups, one group receiving real-rTMS (suprathreshold 5-Hz, 2000 pulses once a day for 10 consecutive days) and the second group receiving sham-rTMS using closed envelopes. Total motor section of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), walking speed, and self-assessment scale were performed for each patient before rTMS and after the first, fifth, 10th sessions, and then after 1 month."
"Evaluation of these measures was performed blindly without knowing the type of rTMS. anova for repeated measurements revealed a significant time effect for the total motor UPDRS, walking speed and self-assessment scale during the course of the study in the group of patients receiving real-rTMS (P = 0.0001, 0.001, and 0.002), while no significant changes were observed in the group receiving sham-rTMS except in self-assessment scale (P = 0.019). A 10-day course of real-rTMS resulted in statistically significant long-term improvement of the motor functions in comparison with the sham-rTMS. The rTMS could have a therapeutic role of for PD patients."
"Motor cortex dysfunction revealed by cortical excitability studies in Parkinson's disease: influence of antiparkinsonian treatment and cortical stimulation"
Abstract from 2005 clinical study
"Cortical excitability of the primary motor cortex is altered in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Therefore, modulation of cortical excitability by high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the motor cortex might result in beneficial effects on motor functions in PD."
"The present study aims to evaluate the effect of rTMS of the motor cortex on motor functions in patients with PD. Thirty-six unmedicated PD patients were included consecutively in this study. The patients were assigned in a randomized pattern to one of two groups, one group receiving real-rTMS (suprathreshold 5-Hz, 2000 pulses once a day for 10 consecutive days) and the second group receiving sham-rTMS using closed envelopes."
"Total motor section of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), walking speed, and self-assessment scale were performed for each patient before rTMS and after the first, fifth, 10th sessions, and then after 1 month. Evaluation of these measures was performed blindly without knowing the type of rTMS. anova for repeated measurements revealed a significant time effect for the total motor UPDRS, walking speed and self-assessment scale during the course of the study in the group of patients receiving real-rTMS (P = 0.0001, 0.001, and 0.002), while no significant changes were observed in the group receiving sham-rTMS except in self-assessment scale (P = 0.019)."
"A 10-day course of real-rTMS resulted in statistically significant long-term improvement of the motor functions in comparison with the sham-rTMS. The rTMS could have a therapeutic role of for PD patients."
I have PD and a bad back. I have spinal stenosis and disc problems. I have a surgery scheduled at theMayo Clinic in November. I would like to try PEMF to see if it would relieve my back pain so I could avoid surgery. Can you tell me what device you are using and is it still effective for you?
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Earthing for anxiety
PEMF mat therapy update
I've been reading about the benefits of Forced Exercise and exercise rate on bicycles and its effect on PD symptoms. 
Parsing Parkinson's
