There are some serious safety considerations when utilizing PEMF therapies.  Some of them have to do with simply the size of the equipment.

If you are using one of the big-box models, you will need space for you, the animal and the equipment to remain safe and avoid tripping or bumping into the box.  There are also the coils and cords to be aware of.  Once you are familiar with the equipment, it is easy to administer but each time you are introducing it to a new client, you will want to take time to acclimate them to it.

Blanket types of PEMF are lightweight and familiar to animals that are regularly blanketed for other purposes.  They are quiet and the frequencies are barely felt except at the highest setting and by some animals.  They have the added safety of not needing to be plugged in and not having coils or cables that are external. In fact, they are often used in the stall without needing the therapist to be present, although I recommend staying with any animal during a session or at least having the animal secure and within sight so they cannot roll or lay down.

Handheld devices like the Assissi Loop are the lightest and easiest to operate. They are great for frequent treatments and can be provided to clients for treatments between visits from their professionals.  They are also among the safest.

It comes down to preference and the needs of your clientele and the level of investment you are comfortable making.

Side-effects vary, the most common being sensations of nausea reported by people and agitation expressed by animals when overexposed.  It is likely that these are outward expressions of disruption at the cell walls and overstimulation of certain ion channels.  Mild detoxification symptoms have been reported by people in early stages of exposure.

Contraction of the muscles with the higher powered muscles stimulates the flushing response in the muscles.  This is one of the positive benefits unless the load of waste products is great and released into the bloodstream quickly. This too can create a detoxifying effect.  It can also result is fatigue and dessication of the tissues when overdone.  This is the most common side-effect that I have seen in horses where the back muscles are sometimes harder and feel dry a day or two after exposure.  I have not seen this same effect with the lower-powered versions of PEMF or when treatments protocols are based on accurate assessments from training professionals.

PEMF is definitely, in my opinion, a less is more type of therapy. Below is a precaution regarding PEMF.  Though this statement is a few year old and more studies have been done on high-powered PEMF systems since, there is some truth to it.

“Is PEMF safe? Over the last several years, we have seen the introduction of extremely high-powered PEMF systems into race tracks and other barns. Rather than having a basis in science, they were developed under the theory that if a weak PEMF field has benefit, then a very large PEMF field must be much better. These systems make a characteristic noise when the field peaks, sounding like a loud crack or snap. When placed on a horse, the horse visibly and sensitively reacts to the large magnetic field charge. The operator of the system holds the coil over the body of the horse, and is subjected to this large field, too. The beneficial effects of PEMF over the last 40 years were found in systems generating weak electromagnetic fields, not large electromagnetic fields. Until these systems undergo study demonstrating they have similar beneficial effects at the first and second orders, it may be wise to avoid their use. Accordingly, their use has been banned by the FEI in their activities. (their use has since been modified).

In the meantime, many PEMF devices on the market harness weak electromagnetic fields which you can use to stimulate health, wellness and comfort in your horse.”

It is also important to remember that while using PEMF devices and other devices reliant on energy fields, the practitioner is also often exposed to treatment.  If you are using these therapies frequently, you may be overexposing yourself or, on a happier note, deriving many of the same benefits as your client!