The biophysical principles of electromagnetic fields play an important role in the Frequency therapy play an important role in the coupling to biological tissue, the dose design and the duration of exposure. The coupling of electromagnetic fields to biological tissue is influenced by biological parameters such as conductivity or the dielectric properties of cell membranes. These parameters are highly variable and depend on tissue types, but also on the frequency range. Depending on the frequency, different sensitivity points on the cell membrane have been described. Specifically, the membrane and electrolyte interface of the β-dispersion react very sensitively to the effects of electromagnetic fields in the range from 10 Hz to the MHz range. The reaction, i.e. cellular communication activation through frequency treatment, can be targeted. In the MHz range, for example, exposure to the frequencies 0.1-10 MHz has shown that the activity of the sodium-potassium pump exhibits the best efficiency, and can be treated by applying the corresponding frequency, thus activating the cellular communication. Membrane potential regulate (Szász, 2021). According to recent data, the highly ordered water clusters are able to effectively transmit the electromagnetic signals received by cells to neighboring cells and amplify them (Brasovan et al., 2025). The problem is that the frequency and parameters must be precisely tuned.
The effect of electromagnetic fields is dose-dependent and must be precisely matched to the biological windows with the corresponding current density and electrical voltage ranges. The smallest differences in parameters such as 0.03-0.06 V/m in the field strength or 4-5 μA/cm² in the current density show serious effects in the DNA concentration, but also in the activation of various biological functions in the cell (Szász, 2021). There is an effective range of effectiveness of electromagnetic fields on biological tissues and cells, so that the frequencies to be dosed work effectively in this region. Frequency therapy only works in a narrow bandwidth; a slight increase or decrease in the dose may have no effect or cause undesirable biological reactions. Dose efficiency is crucial to the effectiveness of treatment and standardization of protocols is required. It is important to be able to precisely maintain the parameters in order to generate an effect on biological tissues and prevent the occurrence of adverse reactions. The Multiwave Oscillator, for example, works with a wide action window, and only with a very precise dose were demonstrable results achieved in a clinical study (Valone, 2003). It is assumed that the reason for contradictory research results in this area of application of frequency therapy is the lack of standardization (Szász, 2021).
It is essential for the biological reaction to the effects of electromagnetic fields how long the exposure to the frequencies lasts. In the Practice wird ersichtlich, dass kürzere, dafür wiederholte Anwendungen in der Regel effektiver sind als eine einmalige Exposition. In klinischen und experimentellen Studien zeigte sich zum Beispiel bei Anwendungen mit pulsierenden elektromagnetischen Feldern wie dem BEMER, dass zwei tägliche Kurzzeitapplikationen à acht Minuten mit einer genauen Dosierung und festgelegten Intervallen eine Verbesserung der Mikrozirkulation und eine Schmerzlinderung generierten (Palmer et al., 2023). Darüber hinaus kommt eine Studie über manuelle Therapie in Kombination mit elektromagnetischer Frequenzstimulation (Multiwaves) in der Schmerzlinderung von Patienten*innen mit rheumatoider Arthritis zum Schluss, dass ein multimodaler Ansatz mehr Erfolg verspricht als die Einzelanwendung der beiden Behandlungen (Chung et al., 2013). Es ist allerdings sehr wichtig, dass die Dauer der Anwendungen mit der zeitlichen Dimension der beeinflussten Mechanismen zusammenpasst, da bei kurzzeitiger, hochfrequenter Anwendung eher akute Signalwege (sekundäre Botenstoffe, zytoplasmatische Enzyme) erreicht werden, während langfristige Funktionen wie die Genexpression eine viel längere Expositionsdauer verlangen. Daher sind weitere klinische Studien notwendig, die eine gute Dokumentation von Behandlungsintervallen aufweisen, um ein standardisiertes, reproduzierbares Protokoll für die optimale Anwendungsdauer von elektromagnetischen Feldern aufzustellen (Palmer et al., 2023; Szász, 2021).
With non-thermal effects of electromagnetic fields, regulation of biological processes is specifically triggered without heating the tissue. Pulsed electromagnetic fields and other devices such as high-frequency Tesla systems are also used to perform certain cell functions non-thermally, such as restoring the transmembrane potential or improving electron transport through electroporation (Valone, 2003). The electromagnetic fields cause signal transmission without thermal stimulation and initiate biological processes at the cellular level. This procedure should contribute efficiently to the initiation of targeted cellular signaling pathways and gene regulation. It is assumed that in the long-term perspective of the therapeutic success of electromagnetic fields, their non-thermal effects are of great importance for the effectiveness in frequency therapy, and further experimental and clinical studies are necessary to prove the principle of action (Szász, 2021; Valone, 2003).
On the occasion of a study on pulsed electromagnetic fields for cartilage regeneration in the knee joint, it is pointed out that the correct application of the dose and the exact setting of the exposure time play an important role in the results of frequency therapy. The study investigated pulsed electromagnetic fields and the associated mechanical stimulation for cartilage regeneration in the knee in vivo. It showed a statistically significant benefit in terms of chondrocyte differentiation with a 30-minute treatment with pulsed electromagnetic fields compared to a 30-minute, single treatment with mechanical stimulation (Aaron et al., 2006). It has been proven that the regeneration of cartilage tissue is accelerated with precisely dosed electromagnetic fields and stimulation. Among other things, this stimulation has been shown to influence the amount of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). TGF-β is a substance that stimulates cartilage cells, the chondrocytes, to generate the regeneration-promoting cell product. Pulsed electromagnetic fields can therefore be used specifically to initiate this signaling pathway in the knee and accelerate cartilage regeneration. The study shows that the use of frequency therapy can replace the empirical experience of therapists and thus provide a protocolized treatment method for clinical applications (Aaron et al., 2006). The correct application of the frequency and the dosed treatment can be precisely adapted to the different patients and thus a suitable therapy plan can be created for them. The protocol with precise dose information would be ideal for drawing up individual treatment plans. In studies, attention should therefore also be paid to the collection of clinically and biophysically measurable data (Aaron et al., 2006).
The biophysical principles for the application of electromagnetic fields, for efficacy, exposure duration and dose can be used to standardize clinical practice.
