It looks like a fancy yoga mat, but manufacturers claim pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy mats can recharge the body at a cellular level. PEMF therapy is a favourite of biohackers like Gary Brecka, who spruiked the mats on Joe Rogan’s podcast as having the ability to “re-polarise” red blood cells. Horses seem to really love it and many individuals living with chronic pain conditions say it has helped them.

However, experts caution that while there is evidence for using PEMF in medical devices, the commercial mats are part of an emerging home self-therapy device market, which can be highly variable.

What is PEMF therapy?

These mats are a pulse electromagnetic field generating medium, says Prof Gary Housley, the chair of Physiology at the University of New South Wales.

Medical devices, like MRI scanners, use quite strong pulsed magnetic fields that can have an effect on biological tissue by interacting with the molecules, principally the water molecules in the body, Housley says.

Another example Housley points to using PEMF are transcranial magnetic stimulators (TMS), which are an approved treatment in countries including Australia, the US, Canada, Israel and the UK, for people with depression who have not responded to medication.

TMS are used by placing coils on top of somebody’s head. The generated magnetic fields can provide local superficial stimulation of some neurons in the brain, which can connect the perceptions and even drive some activity and motor function, he says.

How effective are the commercial mats using this technology?

Unlike these other approved medical devices using PEMF, Housley cautions that the commercial mats are “highly variable” in their manufacture, and the pulsed electromagnetic fields they generate are “very, very weak” – about a thousand times less than transcranial magnetic stimulation devices.

Also, the strength of the field rapidly decays when you move away from where the coil is, he says. These electromagnetic pulses travel through the air – so unlike direct electric tissue stimulation devices, you don’t need direct contact with the body, and “because of the nature of being a mat” there is going to be variable contact with the body, with some parts inevitably lifted a few centimetres off the mat.

When people apply pads with direct electrical stimulation, it can provide a consistent physiological effect, engaging their muscles. Devices that have direct local contact with the body may have application for modulating neuropathic pain, Housley says.

Some mats also have a heating pad. That combined therapy can help with neurological conditions like pain, because the heat generated from infrared light can penetrate the body and help circulation, he says.

What does the evidence show?

There are a range of scientific publications that have looked at the potential utility of these mats for health benefits, but there is no conclusive, randomised controlled blinded studies that actually validate the device or show any clinically proven benefit, Housley says.

The most promising results might be achieved for certain bone conditions or some pain modulation, which may be associated with stimulating baseline cell tissues, he says.

Most of the research has been done on medical-grade devices that deliver a much stronger field and are more focused on a specific body area, says Prof Michele Sterling from the University of Queensland’s Recover Injury Research Centre.

There have been some cell and animal studies showing that there may be some changes with these higher intensity devices that can influence cell signalling and inflammation, Sterling says. “But we don’t know whether that translates across to humans. The research hasn’t been done, and we certainly don’t know if that then translates across to these mat devices.”

A 2024 paper published in Nature said further investigations were needed to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying “promising” findings.

What are evidence-based treatments for chronic pain?

Anecdotally many people with chronic pain condition say the mats help them, and that’s OK if they are prepared to pay for them, Sterling says. “But they should remember that other factors have much stronger evidence, and not to neglect them as well.”

Physical activity and regular movement is shown to help, she says, even if it’s gentle. “It doesn’t have to be high level, high intensity exercise.”

Getting good sleep is increasingly found to be important, while evidence-based physiotherapy or psychological approaches can also help, she says.

• Natasha May is Guardian Australia’s health reporter

• Antiviral is a fortnightly column that interrogates the evidence behind the health headlines and factchecks popular wellness claims