Earthpulse is a PEMF therapy company that currently offers PEMF therapy devices designed for both home and clinical use. Although Earthpulse machines look impressive and have a strong resume, PEMF therapy’s spike in popularity has yielded a plethora of PEMF therapy companies and designs. How does Earthpulse rank among its competitors? Before we get to that, however, let’s discuss the history of and mechanism behind PEMF therapy.
PEMF Therapy: A History
The history of PEMF therapy is full of peaks and valleys, because its roots are actually in ancient healing remedies that utilized magnets as a way to manipulate and support the body’s energy. While the science of electricity, magnets, and the human body have shifted since antiquity, the same basic idea is the same: just as magnets were thought to direct and improve the energy in the body, PEMF therapy is designed to manipulate and support the body’s energy. From its roots in ancient magnet therapy, PEMF therapy was put on hold. It was not until electricity made its way on the scene, and Tesla and his peers began evaluating electromagnetic fields that PEMF therapy technology began in earnest.
Following the development of the electromagnetic field, PEMF therapy’s eventual iteration was in its infancy. Initial investigation and research into the medical applications of electromagnetic fields actually focused on frequency, and finding frequencies that could be used to target foreign invaders and eliminate them. Early models have been largely debunked, though some people still suggest the frequency approach to eliminating disease is legitimate, in favor of the current iteration of PEMF therapy machines. The PEMF therapy technology in use today was developed and fine-tuned in the mid 1960s, and began seeing widespread use in the late 1970s, where it gained traction as a treatment for horses and other large animals in need of increased healing energy and muscle support.
How PEMF Therapy Works
How exactly do Pulsed Electromagnetic Field machines like the Earthpulse work? To fully understand how effective Earthpulse machines are, you must first understand how PEMF therapy works and how it impacts the body. In order to support the body’s natural health maintenance systems and healing mechanisms, your body must have an adequate amount of energy, and synergistic communication both between and within cells. Environmental toxins and stressors, emotional health, and physical ailments can all put a large burden on the body’s energetic centers. Over time, these burdens can compound to weigh down cellular energy and function, leading to increased inflammation, decreased energy, and a host of other issues in the body.
PEMF therapy delivers energy to the body’s cells via pulses of electromagnetic energy. This energy is generated via one or more pure copper coils. Electricity is applied to the coils, and an electromagnetic field is generated. The energy from this field is then funneled into the delivery method of the machine in particular, and is then placed against the body. Some machines recommend lacing the delivery device directly against the skin, while others are designed to be used with clothing or even a mattress. Earthpulse machines can be placed directly against the skin to administer PEMF, but may also be used through clothing—which is most often the case in clinical settings.
The Components of PEMF Therapy
Different PEMF therapy companies and machines have different claims to fame, and different styles that are said to make them more effective or more enjoyable than their competitors, but in order to qualify as a PEMF machine, there are several key components that must be present. These components include the following.
Waveform
The waveform of a PEMF therapy machine is the component that can best be described as the shape of the electromagnetic pulses being administered to the body. The shape of a wave is most often seen as the curved rise and fall of a radiation spectrum, or the jagged spike and fall of a heart monitor, the waveform of a PEMF machine is actually one of several different possible shapes. The most common shapes associated with PEMF therapy are the sine, saw tooth, and square waveforms A sine waveform is closest to the wave-like rise and fall associated with radiation spectrums and heart monitors. Saw tooth waveforms are marked by a gradual, jagged rise in energy level, until it reaches a peak, then shows a dramatic dip. Finally, a square waveform is characterized by a sharp rise in energy, a plateau, and a sudden drop in the level of energy entering the body. There are additional types of waveforms, but these are the most common and, consequently, the most frequently studied.
Intensity
The intensity of a machine describes the power of the electromagnetic field’s pulse. Intensity is best compared to a measure of strength. A high-intensity machine, for instance, is going to deliver an extremely powerful pulse of electromagnetic energy, while a low-intensity machine is going to deliver a lower-strength pulse of electromagnetic energy. The findings regarding intensity are somewhat contradictory, depending on the source, but most findings have concluded that low-intensity machines are safe and effective, with high intensity machines typically utilized in clinics rather than homes. Intensity is measured in Gauss, with low intensity machines clocking in at under 1,000 Gauss, and high intensity machines delivering between 1,000 and 50,000 Gauss.
Frequency
Frequency and intensity are often mixed up, in part because both are described in terms of “high” and “low”. Despite the same verbiage used to describe the two, the frequency of a machine is very different from the intensity of a machine. While intensity describes power, frequency describes the number of times a pulse of energy actually penetrates the body in a one-second span. Frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz). Low intensity machines usually offer a range between <1 to 500 Hz, while high intensity machines offer a range of settings between 500 to 10,000 Hz.
Delivery Mode
Although PEMF therapy is predicated on the idea of a field of electromagnetic energy, that field is not effective at penetrating the body and healing without some type of delivery method. Two of the most common delivery methods include mats and wands, but can also include rings and round applicators, the last of which describes Earthpulse applicators.
The Earthpulse: Components and Specifications
What is the Earthpulse? The Earthpulse line of PEMF therapy machines are highly regarded, in part because of the different intensity levels and models. Earthpulse machines offer different models and correspondingly different intensity levels; each intensity level actually corresponds to the number of delivery modules. For the purposes of this review, we will focus on the Earthpulse ProBasic, as it is among the more popular and economical models.
Warranty and Guarantees
Earthpulse machines come equipped with a 90-day guarantee, with some caveats. Although the standard “must be returned in like new condition” applies, the Earthpulse company has additional requirements for all customers interested in taking advantage of the 90-day guarantee policy. In order to avoid a 10% restocking fee, customers must maintain a solid 3 weeks of communication with tech support, to make sure that all tech issues and user error issues are sorted through prior to making a return. If these requirements are met, customers may return the product for a full return on cost. If requirements are not met, customers must pay a 10% restocking fee. Customers must always pay return shipping costs.
In addition to their guarantee, Earthpulse has a limited 10-year warranty on their products. The warranty structure follows the same basic structure employed by numerous PEMF therapy companies; namely, warranty coverage continually declines each year (or every couple of years). The first year, Earthpulse products are 100% guaranteed against all defects, provided that customers send the company a video of the malfunctioning device with the device and outlet in the same frame. After the first year, you can purchase a new device at a significant discount ($100 for the second and third years, $200 for the third and fourth, and so on).
Up Against the Competition
When looking for a PEMF machine, it can be difficult to determine which machine is best, and which company has the best offer. Because PEMF machines are an investment into your health, potential buyers should make sure that they take the price of a machine, the components of a machine, and the company offering the machine into account, because even if a machine has superlative reviews and customers rave about how far their health has come, if the company has a reputation for failing to respond to customer service requests, or does not offer adequate support, you can find yourself out hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars, with little recourse. To measure the Earthpulse against its competitors, there are some important factors to consider. These include:
Price
Earthpulse is among the less expensive PEMF therapy machines currently on the market. Their bottom-tier model is around $400, which is fairly affordable in the world of PEMf therapy machines and wellness. The base model is not nearly as powerful as the other Earthpulse models, however, and another $100 bump up is necessary to experience the full power of the machine. The top-tier machine available from Earthpulse is $2,000, which is still much less expensive than many high-dollar PEMF therapy machines.
Strength
The strength of Earthpulse machines is higher than that of many other PEMF therapy machines, as it offers an intensity that hovers right around the highest edge of low-intensity machines or the lowest edge of high-intensity machines. Because many low-intensity devices utilize Gauss below 100 for their low-intensity machines, some consumers might consider the Earthpulse a better “deal,” for offering a stronger machine at a low price point. It should be noted, however, that a higher-intensity machine is not necessarily a better machine. Many studies focus their efforts and attention on lower-intensity machines, and those same studies demonstrate that low-intensity machines can be very effective in delivering PEMF therapy and realizing results.
Additional Therapy Options
Earthpulse machines focus all of their energy on PEMF therapy, and do not offer any additional therapies, such as Far Infrared (FIR) therapy, with any of their models. While additional therapies are not necessary to successfully administer PEMF, many models have set themselves apart through their use of complementary therapy pairings within a single machine. Earthpulse is lacking in this area, and is not likely to fulfill the needs of home PEMF users who are looking to maximize therapeutic exposure and intervention.
Warranty and Guarantees
Earthpulse warranties and guarantees operate within the same basic framework as many other warranties. The addition of 3 weeks of communication with customer service goes above and beyond what many companies require to successfully complete a guarantee return, which can be a point of contention for people who do not want to run the risk of not being able to return a defective product, or a product that does not fulfill its intended purpose.
Customer Service Availability
Earthpulse customers have expressed satisfaction with their customer service experience with Earthpulse, though the requirement of close communication to successfully complete a return can cause some customers to feel uncomfortable or suspicious of company motives. The site offers a clear and easy way to contact the company via email, but does not provide a phone number, which can also be a deterrent for customers or potential clients who are not comfortable conducted business over email.
Are Earthpulse Machines Effective?
Earthpulse machines are among the higher end of low intensity (or the low end of high intensity) machines, and like most other PEMF offerings, they do deliver PEMF technology in appropriate and useful ways. Consumers looking for an affordable, higher-intensity machine could benefit from selecting Earthpulse as their machine of choice. Those same users might be frustrated by the mode of delivery if their introduction to PEMF therapy involved the use of mats, as Earthpulse machines deliver PEMF pulses through 1-4 round applicators, rather than a large surface area like a mat.