There are two types of rife machine: AC and DC. The following is an excerpt from the book Lyme Disease and Rife Machines, by Bryan Rosner, examining the effects of DC pulsed electromagnetic fields. In addition to a DC machine’s ability to directly kill Lyme Disease spirochetes, DC machines have been shown in clinical trials to be helpful in treating other health conditions often associated with Lyme Disease.  Thus DC machines are a very beneficial tool for Lyme Disease sufferers because they kill the infection while simultaneously ameliorating many debilitating, quality-of-life problems Lyme Disease sufferers face.  Some of the health conditions which occur in Lyme Disease, and upon which DC PEMF (pulsed electro-magnetic fields) has proven positive effects, include:

1. Hypoperfusion.   Poor blood flow to the brain results in depression , mood  disorders, mental illness , decline of intellect, “brain fog ,” and other brain symptoms Lyme Disease sufferers experience.[1]^,[2],[3]  Poor blood flow to other parts of the body results in many other problems including blood pressure disorders , heart problems, sexual dysfunction , etc.[4]  Many Lyme Disease sufferers discover through brain scans that they have this problem.  PEMF has been shown to have the following effects on blood-flow related problems:

                               I.      Preventing damage related to blood-flow problems caused by stroke .[5]

                            II.      Decreasing varicosity, which causes blood-flow problems.[6]

                         III.      Improving symptoms of headaches  associated with cerebral arteriosclerosis, sequels to cerebral concussion, depressive neurosis, or tension headache .[7]

                         IV.      Decrease of arterial pressure, normalization of blood glucose level, arrest of DIC syndrome development in people with cerebrovascular disorders.  PEMF clearly improved the symptoms involved in cerebrovascular disorders.[8]

                            V.      Improving circulation in the brain.[9]^,[10],[11]

2. Hypertension.  This symptom often accompanies Lyme Disease.[12]^,[13]

In labile hypertension, PEMF produces a hypotensive effect, improves myocardial contractility, and increases myocardial and coronary reserves due to reduced peripheral resistance and stimulation of myocardial propulsion. Therapeutic response to the treatment is attributed to normalized function of deep brain structures.[14]   Additionally, in a study where 147 subjects underwent magneto-therapy with the unit Magniter-AMT-01, it was found that their hypertension conditions were significantly improved.[15]

3. Hypercoagulation and excess fibrinogen.  Chronic Fatigue Syndrome  and Lyme Disease are usually accompanied by a blood-thickening condition involving excessive fibrinogen and hypercoagulation  of the blood.[16]  The prescription drug Heparin® is often prescribed for this condition.  Heparin® can have very undesirable side effects, including hemorrhage, acute adrenal  insufficiency (a problem Lyme Disease sufferers already struggle with), and osteoporosis.[17] This drug has also been anecdotally associated with proliferation of opportunistic Candida  yeast infections.

PEMF increases the rate of fibrinolysis, resulting in a decrease in fibrinogen concentration in the blood, an increase in the level of fibrinogen degradation products, and a considerably shorter time of fibrinolysis in plasma compared to controls (subjects receiving a placebo).[18]  Additionally, PEMF actually prevents hypercoagulation .[19]

4. Joint and cartilage damage and deterioration caused by Lyme-induced arthritis  and inflammation.  Most Lyme Disease sufferers are well aware of this Lyme Disease symptom.  Lyme Disease often causes severe degenerative joint  problems that can occur in any joint  in the body.  Doctors typically prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs that do not address the root cause of the problem.  These drugs also have a slew of side effects as illustrated by the recent Vioxx®  catastrophe.  One of the more ironic side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)  is diminished bone healing and slowed bone formation and remodeling.  Researchers reporting in the May-June, 2004, issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons  concluded that NSAIDs should be avoided at all costs during the healing of fractures and spinal fusions.[20]  Not exactly the ideal treatment.

Prescription drugs also give the body another synthetic chemical to deal with and to detoxify in addition to Lyme neurotoxins .

One of the most noteworthy properties of PEMF is its regenerative effect on the joints , connective tissue, and cartilage.  There are many scientifically documented articles, books, and studies that show PEMF to be beneficial in almost any type of joint  or connective tissue problem.  PEMF helps:

                               I.      Cartilage regeneration and growth stimulation.[21]^{,[22],[23],[24],[25],[26],[27],[28]} PEMF is capable of returning an older patient’s cartilage regeneration speed to that of a younger patient.[29]

                            II.      Soft-tissue repair . [30]

                         III.      Enhancement of collagen production in connective tissue.[31]

                         IV.      Beneficial to arthritis  of all kinds.[32]^{,[33],[34],[35],[36],[37],[38],[39],[40],[41],[42],[43]}

Although most studies focus specifically on PEMF, one study actually correlates direct DC current with stimulation of growth and tissue

 repair as well as stimulation of bone regeneration .  In The effects of electric currents on ATP generation, protein synthesis, and membrane transport in rat skin, pages 264-270, the authors explain that inducing an electrical current of at least 50µ in living tissue inside the body results in “stimulation of growth and tissue repair” and “improvement of bone tissue regeneration, or osteogenesis.”  The authors go on to say that DNA metabolism is not affected by electrical stimulation, which suggests that DNA is unaffected by this type of electrical application.  The DC powered machine supplies both PEMF as well as direct DC current.

5. Depression .  Another problem experienced by almost all Lyme Disease sufferers, especially during herx reactions, is depression .  In Lyme Disease, depression  can be caused by a variety of physiological problems in the brain resulting from neurotransmitter imbalances, hormone imbalances, the physical presence of the infection, Borrelia neurotoxins , systemic metabolic disturbances, etc. 

Here again the strategy of conventional doctors, often even LLMDs, is to prescribe chemical drugs that “alleviate” depression  by changing brain chemistry.  Selective seratonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)  are usually the drug of choice.  These drugs have many unwanted side effects including the incidence of unpleasant mental symptoms such as anxiety , insomnia , hyperactivity , and more.  These side effects are particularly undesirable for a Lyme Disease sufferer because they already occur as part of the disease process itself! 

And let us not forget that the FDA just issued the king of all paradoxical warnings for ALL anti-depressant drugs:  The “black box ” warning that states antidepressant drugs cause suicidal thoughts and ideation.

Another reason to avoid antidepressant drugs is that it is very important for Lyme Disease sufferers to be able to accurately assess their symptoms at any given time.  Self-symptom assessment  is one of the most effective tools in determining which therapies work, which don’t, and what it feels like to get better or worse. 

A Lyme Disease sufferer already has enough brain imbalances caused by the infection; taking a drug to induce more unnatural brain changes is obviously not a smart idea.  Feeding brain chemistry-altering drugs to someone whose brain is already completely thrown off due to an infection can cause a confusing, dangerous roller coaster ride of symptoms.

PEMF is helpful in treating the symptoms of many types of depression  and in some cases can be a substitute for taking chemical antidepressants. [44]^{,[45],[46],[47],[48],[49], [50],[51],[52],[53],[54],[55],[56],[57],[58],[59],[60],[61],[62],[63]}

In a February 2004 Science and Society  article, Marianne Szegedy-Maszak reported that severely depressed patients who were taking pharmaceutical drugs for treatment and underwent brain evaluation with MRI  machines actually ended up experiencing dramatic improvement in their depression  from the MRI machine itself.  A patient who had been so depressed she could barely speak became ebullient after the 45-minute brain scan. Then a second patient, who seemed incapable of even a wan smile, emerged actually telling jokes.  The article concludes that in theory, since the brain itself is an electromagnetic organ, stimulation with electromagnetic energy appears to be beneficial in depression  and possibly other illnesses such as Schizophrenia  and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder