CHRONIC PAIN CONTINUES TO BE ONE of society’s most pernicious medical issues, and is responsible for enormous healthcare costs and widespread suffering. One recent study estimated that chronic pain affects more than 50 million Americans, or 20% of the population, and leads to almost $300 billion in annual healthcare costs.
As chiropractors, we encounter chronic pain every day. We aim to restore optimal function to the spine and nervous system, which alleviates chronic pain through precise adjustments. But what happens when we do everything right, yet a patient continues to experience pain, limited mobility, or slow progress?
One silent and often overlooked source of pain is chronic inflammation. While inflammation is a natural part of the body’s healing process, when it becomes persistent, it can create a cascade of dysfunction that interferes with alignment, nerve communication, and tissue repair.
Understanding how inflammation interacts with the body and how to mitigate it can significantly improve the effectiveness of your care.
Inflammation is the body’s response to injury, infection, or perceived threats. It’s designed to protect and heal. But when it becomes chronic, inflammation can have the opposite effect. Instead of resolving injury or stress, it prolongs pain, limits motion, and promotes tissue breakdown.
In the chiropractic setting, inflammation becomes a major roadblock to successful outcomes for several reasons:
• Muscle tension and guarding: Inflammatory cytokines stimulate pain receptors and tighten surrounding musculature. This tension can pull joints out of aligmnent or resist correction.
• Joint stiffness and edema: Swelling within or around a joint limits mobility and may make adjustments more difficult or less effective.
• Nerve interference: Inflamed tissues near nerve pathways can compress or irritate nerves, which contributes to dysfunction that adjustments alone may not resolve.
• Delayed recovery: Chronic inflammation impairs tissue regeneration, which impedes the healing process after injury or repetitive stress.
In short, inflammation can undo the benefits of a well-performed adjustment, creating a cycle of temporary relief followed by recurring dysfunction.
One of the most promising tools for reducing inflammation and supporting chiropractic care is PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) therapy. This technology uses low-frequency electromagnetic waves to stimulate cellular activity and promote natural healing processes. Unlike TENS units, which act on nerves, PEMF affects cellular energy production (ATP), ion exchange, and circulation, which addresses the root causes of inflammation and tissue dysfunction.
A PEMF mat is a convenient and practical way to incorporate this therapy into your practice. Patients simply lie on the mat before or after their adjustment, which allows electromagnetic pulses to penetrate the body and stimulate healing from the inside out.
How PEMF Helps Combat Inflammation
PEMF therapy offers many benefits that make it an excellent adjunct to chiropractic care:
• Reduces inflammation and swelling: By improving microcirculation and encouraging oxygen uptake in tissues, PEMF helps flush out inflammatory byproducts and reduce edema.
• Relaxes muscles and fascia: Electromagnetic pulses can reduce muscle spasms and improve tissue flexibility, thereby making the spine more receptive to adjustment.
• Enhances recovery time: PEMF supports cellular regeneration, aiding recovery after acute injury or chronic stress.
“Understanding how inflammation interacts with the body and how to mitigate it can significantly improve the effectiveness of your care.”
• Improves patient comfort and compliance: When patients feel better faster, they are more likely to continue care and follow treatment recommendations.
For chiropractors treating patients with chronic pain, arthritis, disc injuries, or autoimmune conditions, PEMF can make a measurable difference in both short-term relief and longterm progress.
Therapeutic Results + Practice Growth
Integrating a PEMF mat into your chiropractic practice doesn’t just benefit your patients—it can also benefit your bottom line. Here’s how:
• Boost outcomes: Patients often notice faster improvements when PEMF is added to their care plan. Better outcomes lead to higher satisfaction, retention, and referrals.
• Expand treatment options: PEMF can be used on nearly every patient, from athletes to seniors, making it a versatile tool for your clinic.
• Create additional revenue: Practices can offer PEMF sessions as part of a premium care plan, or package it as an add-on therapy. Over time, this can create a reliable secondary income stream with minimal labor or overhead.
Stand out in your community: Offering advanced, non-invasive technologies like PEMF positions your practice as a leader in holistic and functional care.
Getting Started with PEMF
Adding a PEMF mat to your practice is relatively low-cost and requires minimal training. Most units are plug-and-play, with adjustable intensity settings and preset programs for inflammation, pain relief, and circulation.
It’s ideal to introduce PEMF therapy during the intake process or as part of a care plan review, highlighting how it supports chiropractic adjustments and enhances healing. Providing a brief in-office demo or offering a free first session can help patients understand the benefits firsthand.
Inflammation is often the hidden barrier standing between your patient and lasting relief. By addressing it directly— with tools like PEMF therapy—you can improve the body’s responsiveness to care and restore the healing momentum your adjustments were meant to deliver. Incorporating a PEMF mat into your practice bridges the gap between structural correction and cellular recovery, yielding improved outcomes, satisfied patients, and a thriving practice.
Brad Kristiansen, D.C., is the Clinical Director of Holistic Health Solutions, a company dedicated to empowering holistic leaders through innovative clinical training, wellness products, and devices. For more information visit /theholistichealthsolutions.store/wellness-devices/purelife-pl-3000-pmf-pulsed-electro magnetic-field-mat-basic-package/
