PEMF explained

Pulsed fields, plainly put.

PEMF stands for pulsed electromagnetic fields. It's a simple idea from basic physics — and one of the two technologies inside every Tera-P90.

Try the pulse lab

Compare with terahertz

4 min read

The basics

The basics

Three words, one idea.

Field

magnetic

An invisible area of magnetic force, like the one around a fridge magnet or the Earth itself.

Pulse

Hz

The field switches on and off. Hertz (Hz) counts how many times that happens each second — 10 Hz means ten pulses a second.

Strength

gauss · tesla

How strong the field is, measured in gauss (G) or tesla (T). One tesla equals 10,000 gauss.

Put the three together and you have PEMF: a magnetic field that pulses at a set rate and strength. Devices differ a lot in all three — some pulse a few times a second, others far faster; some fields are very gentle, others much stronger.

How it's made

How it's made

From a coil to a rhythm.

A coil of wire

Wind copper wire into a coil and send electric current through it. A magnetic field forms around the coil.

Switch it on and off

A small circuit turns the current on and off in quick bursts. Each burst makes the field rise and fall: that's one pulse.

Set the rhythm

The circuit decides the pulse rate (Hz), the shape of each pulse and how strong it is. Change any of these and you have a different device.

Shape it for the body

Coils are built into whatever shape suits the use: full-body mats, small wearables, loops and paddles, or foot platforms like the Tera-P90.

Try it

Try it

Set your own pulse rate.

Slide from 1 to 50 pulses per second and watch the rings speed up. Most PEMF devices work somewhere between 1 and 100 Hz.

Pulse rate

Field strength

visual only

Pulse shape

Play

Pause

Pulse rate

{count} pulses per second

One pulse every {count} ms

One ring for every pulse

One second of pulses

A coil sending out one ring for every pulse

One second of pulses drawn as a wave

In plain words

Pulse

One switch-on, switch-off of the field. In the lab above, each ring you see is one pulse.

Hertz (Hz)

Pulses per second. Ten Hz is ten pulses every second, or one pulse every tenth of a second.

Waveform

The shape of each pulse as it rises and falls: smooth, sharp on/off, or a slow ramp. It is the shape traced in the strip under the picture.

Field strength

How strong the field is, in gauss or tesla. In this drawing the slider only changes how bold the picture looks.

A visual explainer of the technology's terms. It does not show any effect on the body.

Where it's used

Where it's used

In clinics, in labs, at home.

Medicine

Prescription PEMF devices called bone growth stimulators have been used in fracture care for decades. In 2026, U.S. regulators moved these prescription devices into a lower-risk class after a long track record.

Research

Researchers have run many trials on PEMF — for joints, bones, sleep and more. The results are mixed: some found an effect, others found none. You can read every study we cite in the research library^*.

At home

Home PEMF devices range from small wearables to full-body mats and foot platforms, at very different prices. See how they compare on price.

Compare prices across the market

• Physical Medicine Devices; Reclassification of Non-Invasive Bone Growth Stimulators U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Federal Register (Document 2026-07366) · 2026 · Regulatory record · Regulatory record · Regulatory record. Prescription non-invasive bone growth stimulators using electrical, magnetic or ultrasonic fields, long marketed under premarket approval, were reclassified by FDA from Class III to Class II. Read the source
• Effects of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy on Pain, Stiffness, Physical Function, and Quality of Life in Patients With Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials. Yang X, et al. · Physical Therapy · 2020 · Meta-analysis · Moderate evidence · Effect reported. Across placebo-controlled trials, PEMF was associated with short-term improvements in osteoarthritis pain, stiffness and function; quality-of-life effects were not statistically confirmed. Read on PubMed
• Electromagnetic field stimulation for treating delayed union or non-union of long bone fractures in adults. Griffin XL, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2011 · Systematic review · Low evidence · No clear effect. The pooled effect on fracture union was not statistically significant; the authors judged the evidence inconclusive and insufficient to guide practice. Read on PubMed
• Therapeutic effects of whole-body devices applying pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF): a systematic literature review. Hug K, et al. · Bioelectromagnetics · 2012 · Systematic review · Very low evidence · No clear effect. Evidence for therapeutic effects of whole-body PEMF mats was judged insufficient; no acute adverse effects were reported, but long-term effects were unstudied. Read on PubMed

In OlyLife devices

In OlyLife devices

Where you'll find it.

• “OlyLife describes the Tera-P90 as combining bio-electromagnetic energy operating at 1 MHz with terahertz energy in a 3–3000 µm band.”^†

— OlyLife's own description

PEMF appears in most of the OlyLife range. Tap a device to see how it's used.

• Tera-P90 — PEMF
• Tera-P90+ — PEMF
• Frost Age — PEMF
• Revitaluxe — Pulsed electromagnetic field
• Shaken Massager — PEMF
• Galaxy G-One — Low-frequency PEMF
• Vitality Wand — PEMF

Research

Research highlights

What the studies report.

A few of the larger reviews of PEMF research^*, labeled by strength of evidence.

See all 20 studies in the library

• Electromagnetic fields for treating osteoarthritis. Li S, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2013 · Meta-analysis · Moderate evidence · Mixed results. Pooled trials found electromagnetic field therapy gave modest extra pain relief versus sham, with no significant difference in physical function or quality of life. Read on PubMed
• Efficacy and safety of the pulsed electromagnetic field in osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis. Wu Z, et al. · BMJ Open · 2018 · Meta-analysis · Low evidence · Mixed results. PEMF outperformed sham for pain and function in knee and hand osteoarthritis but not cervical osteoarthritis; reported adverse events did not differ from sham. Read on PubMed
• Impulse magnetic-field therapy for insomnia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Pelka RB, et al. · Advances in Therapy · 2001 · Randomized trial · Very low evidence · Effect reported. Participants using an impulse magnetic-field device reported greater improvement in sleep complaints than placebo users over four weeks; no adverse effects were reported. Read on PubMed

Questions

Questions

Good questions.

Is PEMF the same as a fridge magnet?

No. A fridge magnet has a steady (static) field. PEMF switches on and off in pulses, which is what the "P" stands for.

What does "Hz" mean on a PEMF device?

Hertz is the number of pulses per second. 10 Hz means the field pulses ten times every second.

What do gauss and tesla measure?

Field strength. One tesla is 10,000 gauss. Home devices are usually described in gauss or in microtesla (µT), a millionth of a tesla.

Does OlyLife publish its field strength?

Not at this time. OlyLife lists the technologies in each device, but not a gauss or tesla figure.

Who should check before using a PEMF device?

Anyone with an implanted device, heart condition or pregnancy, among others. See the full list on the safe use page.