Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) puts healing right on the injury.

Like human athletes, performance horses sometimes experience painful injuries to their musculoskeletal systems. These injuries can disrupt training and event participation. For decades, vets and trainers have successfully treated equine soft tissue injuries with pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF).

While effective, the usefulness of PEMF was limited by the size and cost of the devices. Advances in technology and innovation have transformed traditional PEMF therapy into small wearable patches. These devices deliver continuous sensation-free, fixed extended low dose PEMF therapy with no side effects.

Here’s how the wearable devices work. The electromagnetic field is carried on a shortwave radio frequency, and is emitted rapidly at 1,000 pulses per second. These pulses interact with the body’s electrical noise to activate sensory nerve fibers, and in a feedback loop motor nerves. The biological effects are decreased pain awareness, increased blood flow that enhances oxygen and nutrient availability to the injured tissue, and removal of edema so normal tissue function is more rapidly restored.

In horses, this medical technology has been successfully used to treat joint, muscle and tendon pain, arthritis, suspensory injuries, and other acute injuries, and to aid in postoperative recovery.