AD - Stemregen 00:00 
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Andy Smith 01:08 
A quick disclaimer before we begin. The PEMF podcast does not contain any medical advice, and the content provided is for informational purposes only. If you have any health concerns, please visit a healthcare professional. Welcome back to the PEMF podcast. Today we're talking about autism, a neurodevelopmental condition that affects millions of people worldwide and shapes how individuals experience the world from sensory processing and communication to stress, sleep, and emotional regulation. Whether you're autistic yourself, a parent or caregiver, or someone working closely with autistic individuals, you'll know that the challenges can be wide-ranging and deeply personal.

Joshua Roberts 01:55 
In this episode, we'll be exploring where PEMF might fit into the broader conversation around autism support, not as a treatment or a cure, but as a supportive tool that may help some of the underlying factors many autistic people experience, such as nervous system regulation, relaxation, sleep and physical tension. We'll be digging into the science and the research and practical ways PEMF is being used as a wider wellbeing toolkit for people navigating autism. And as we do in, as we normally do in these episodes, can we just start with what is autism just in short?

Andy Smith 02:28 
Okay, yeah, a good place to start, what is autism? So autism or autism spectrum disorder, ASD, isn't an illness or disease. It's a neurodevelopmental condition. That means it relates to how the brain and nervous system develop and process information. Autism exists on a spectrum, which is really important because no two autistic people experience it in the same way. Some individuals may have differences in communication, sensory processing, attention, emotional regulation or social interaction. Others may experience heightened sensory sensitivity, anxiety, sleep challenges, or differences in motor coordination. Rather than being someone that has autism, it's better understood as a different way the brain and nervous system are wired, influencing how a person experiences and interacts with the world around them.

Joshua Roberts 03:19 
And what actually causes autism? Is there a single root cause or is it kind of a combination of things?

Andy Smith 03:23 
Yeah, so from my understanding there isn't a single standalone cause of autism. Autism is considered a multi-factorial meaning, it arises from a combination of influences rather than one specific trigger. Research suggests genetics play a significant role but biological and environmental factors are also thought to contribute. These may include differences in early brain development, neural connectivity, immune system signaling, mitochondrial function and how the nervous system regulates sensory input and stress. Because autism involves multiple systems, as in neurological, sensory, metabolic and autonomic, it doesn't follow a one-size-fits-all pattern. This complexity is why strengths, challenges and support needs can vary so widely across the spectrum.

Joshua Roberts 04:11 
Yeah, that's kind of what is medically seen as the way people kind of develop autism. I know there are kind of some theories or conspiracy theories you could say out there on how people also could develop autism. But as I say, that's kind of what is the medically approved way or the way it's seen in the medical world. But talking about that, is there kind of one medical approach or treatment for people with autism or is there kind of multiple? How does that look?

Andy Smith 04:37 
Well, there isn't a single treatment for autism because autism itself isn't something that needs to be effectively cured. Instead, most approaches focus on supporting quality of life regulation and day-to-day functioning tailored to that individual. Common supports may include occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, behavioral approaches, sensory integration strategies, and educational accommodations. Many families and practitioners also focus on supporting the nervous system, particularly around sensory overload, emotional regulation, sleep and stress resilience, because the autonomic nervous system plays a key role in how the body responds to sensory input and stress approaches that support regulation, such as structured routines, movement, breathwork, calming environments, and sometimes complementary therapies are often explored. And this is where the interest in modalities, just like PEMF, start to emerge, which obviously will come on too shortly.

Joshua Roberts 05:37 
And in under 30 seconds, what is PEMF for anyone that is new?

Andy Smith 05:41 
Yeah, so PEMF therapy stands for Pulse Electromagnetic Field Therapy. It's a non-invasive, drug-free, and natural treatment that uses pulse electromagnetic fields to stimulate the body's natural healing process to create the optimal environment in the body to heal.

Joshua Roberts 05:56 
And we're going to some of the ways that PEMF can support people with autism, kind of from nervous system regulation, energy reproduction and sleep and everything in between. But before that, is there any kind of direct research between PEMF and autism?

Andy Smith 06:11 
Yes there was a pilot study that looked at whether a PEMF protocol could influence symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder in children. The researchers enrolled 20 children aged 2 to 13 with a confirmed ASD diagnosis and delivered a 15-week program using a full body mat at two gals. The protocol included a night program which used 1 to 3 hertz and a day program which used 1 to 75 hertz, rolled out gradually and then used daily with treatments given at home to keep the environment consistent and reduce stress from travel or unfamiliar settings. To measure change the team used standardised pre and post treatment assessments of language and behaviour including receptive and expressive vocabulary tests and behaviour checklists completed by teachers and the parents. After the 15-week period the study reported statistically significant improvements in language and average scores increasing on both receptive vocabulary and expressive vocabulary. The authors also reported improvements in behavioural and attention related measures particularly reductions in externalising behaviours such as attention and behaviour regulation difficulties on teacher ratings across both age groups. Parents ratings showed fewer statistically significant changes overall but in the younger age group parents reported a significant reduction in ASD related problem scores. Importantly the authors reported no adverse events or side effects during the intervention period. This was a pilot study so no control or no sham group. The authors frame the results as promising and suggest potential mechanisms involving nervous system regulation and inflammatory signalling but they do emphasise a need for a larger randomised controlled trials.

Joshua Roberts 08:11 
Yeah, great. And is there any other direct research between PEMF and autism?

Andy Smith 08:15 
So there isn't any more direct research for PEMF and autism, but there are some other studies that aren't directly investigating PEMF and autism specifically, but some of the more common issues faced as part of the neurodevelopmental condition.

Joshua Roberts 08:29 
Yeah, and one of them is neuroinflammation. Why is kind of neuroinflammation relevant for autism?

Andy Smith 08:36 
Neuroinflammation is one of the most consistently reported biological findings in autism research. Post-mortem and imaging studies have shown evidence of chronic activation of immune cells in the brain, particularly microglia and astrocytes alongside elevated inflammatory signaling molecules. This persistent inflammatory state is thought to interfere with normal neurological communication, synaptic development and sensory processing and may contribute to difficulties with attention, emotional regulation and sensory sensitivity seen in some autistic individuals. Reducing neuroinflammation is therefore considered a potentially important target for supporting brain function and neural stability.

Joshua Roberts 09:19 
Yeah, great. So what does the research then say about maybe PEMF's effects on neuro information?

Andy Smith 09:25 
Yes, as mentioned, there are currently no large-scale clinical trials specifically examining PEMF and neuroinflammation in autism. However, preliminary research shows that PEMF can directly influence inflammatory processes within the central nervous system. One notable animal study investigating brain injury examined whether PEMF could modulate neuroinflammatory responses. The researchers found that PEMF exposure significantly reduced activation of astrocytes, which are key drivers of neuroinflammation and lowered levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the brain tissue. At the same time, anti-inflammatory signaling markers increased. The research believed that the effects worked through the cells' internal communication system that regulate inflammation, helping brain support cells reduce inflammatory activity and promote more balanced response within the brain.

Joshua Roberts 10:19 
Yeah, and one of the most common reasons people actually use PEMF is for reducing inflammation. We actually just did a really good post about how PEMF can reduce inflammation within the blood over on our Instagram, which I will link below this episode as well. But also with people with autism, they seem to have a lot of mitochondrial dysfunction. Can you just tell me a little bit more about that?

Andy Smith 10:39 
Yeah, mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the most well-documented biological findings in autism research. Multiple studies have shown that a subset of autistic individuals have reduced mitochondrial efficiency, impaired energy production and increased oxidative stress at cellular level. Because mitochondria are responsible for producing ATP, the energy currency that powers nearly all cellular processes, disruptions here can affect brain development, neurological signaling, sensory processing and the ability to cope with physiological or environmental stress. Supporting mitochondrial function and ATP production is therefore considered a potentially important area when exploring a mechanism relevant to autism.

Joshua Roberts 11:22 
And yeah, PEMF is really great at supporting mitochondrial function. I actually did another post recently about this on the Instagram. I'll link that one below as well. But what does kind of the research say about how PEMF can influence ATP production?

Andy Smith 11:35 
Once again, while there are no large clinical trials directly looking at PEMF and mitochondrial function in autistic populations, mechanistic research shows that PEMFs can influence how cells produce energy, or ATP. One study looked at the enzyme responsible for making ATP inside the mitochondria called FOF1 ATP Ease. Researchers exposed this enzyme to a 60 hertz frequency magnetic field at different intensities. They found that a three-Gauss and five-Gauss, it significantly increased the enzyme's activity. While actually at one-Gauss, it didn't have any effect. This showed the response was intensity dependent with a clear threshold between three and five-Gauss. Even when the enzyme was chemically inhibited, exposure to five-Gauss still increased its activity. Additionally, testing showed there were no changes in membrane pH, suggesting the magnetic field was not disrupting the membrane by instead acting directly on the ATP producing part of the enzyme. The authors concluded that the FOF1 ATP Ease itself may be a direct biological target of magnetic fields. In simple terms, the magnetic field didn't add energy to the cell. It appeared to help the cell use its own energy producing machinery more effectively.

Joshua Roberts 13:00 
And this is one of the many reasons why PEMF stacks so well with red light. Red light actually helps your body produce more ATP and then PEMF actually helps your body then use the ATP. And we've spoken a lot in this episode about nervous system and everything like that. So why is atomic nervous system dysregulation kind of common in autism?

Andy Smith 13:21 
Autonomic nervous system dysregulation is commonly reported in autism research. Many autistic individuals show a tendency towards heightened sympathetic nervous system activity, often described as a persistent fight-or-flight state, alongside reduced parasympathetic activity, which is involved in rest, recovery and emotional regulation. This imbalance is thought to contribute to heightened stress, reactivity, sensory overload, difficulty returning to baseline after stimulation and challenges with sleep and regulation, because the autonomic nervous system acts as a bridge between the brain and the body, supporting autonomic regulation. This imbalance is thought to contribute to heightened stress, reactivity, sensory overload, difficulty returning to baseline after stimulation, and challenges with sleep and regulation, because the autonomic nervous system acts as a bridge between the brain and the body, supporting autonomic regulation is considered highly relevant when exploring biological mechanisms associated with autism.

Joshua Roberts 14:26 
Yeah, for sure. And as well, if anyone does know the correct pronunciation of automatic or autonomic, it seems to be a bit of a kind of split consensus online. Please do let us know in the comments down below. But what does the research would say between PEMF and autonomic kind of function?

Andy Smith 14:41 
Human research has demonstrated that PEMF can influence automatic nervous systems activity measured objectively using HRV or heart rate variability. One double-blind placebo-controlled laboratory study investigated the short-term effects of PEMF exposure on automatic recovery following physical stress in healthy adults. 32 participants underwent standardized physical exertion followed by exposure to PEMFs on varying intensities including placebo conditions. The researchers addressed automatic activity using HRV with particular attention to the very low frequency component which is associated with sympathetically mediated blood flow regulation. The study found that 20 minutes of PEMF exposure led to a faster recovery of HRV after physical strain, particularly in the very low frequency range compared to the placebo. The effects were dose-dependent meaning different magnetic field intensities produced different physiological responses. Importantly, the individuals with lower baseline automonic regulation showed the most pronounced recovery effects. The effects were dose-dependent meaning different magnetic field intensities produced different physiological responses. Importantly, individuals with lower baseline automonic regulation showed the most pronounced recovery effects. Once PEMF exposure stopped, the autonomic changes gradually subsided, indicating a modulatory rather than permanent or stimulatory effect on the nervous system.

Joshua Roberts 16:22 
Yeah, and we get really common feedback that people see kind of an instant change in the HRV after using PEMF. But as Andy kind of said at the end, you definitely kind of need to stay consistent with it to be able to keep seeing those benefits. But there is a big thing in autism about synaptic plasticity. So what is the kind of link here?

Andy Smith 16:45 
Synaptic plasticity, also called neuroplasticity, is the brain's ability to strengthen, weaken, and rewire connections between the neurons based on experience. This matters in autism because many models of ASD involve differences in how neural circuits develop and adapt over time, including atypical connectivity, differences in excitatory and inhibitory signaling, and challenges in how the brain responses to learning, sensory input, and social information. In simple terms, if the brain's wiring adjustment system is working differently, it can affect communication, flexibility, sensory processing, and learning.

Joshua Roberts 17:25 
So what does the research say about PEMF and neuroplasticity in one study?

Andy Smith 17:29 
researchers investigated whether low-frequency PEMF could affect LTP-like plasticity in healthy adults. They used a neurophysiological test designed to measure the brain's ability to strengthen synaptic connections. The results show that PEMF exposed altered LTP-like responses suggesting that the magnetic fields can interact with the mechanisms involved in synaptic strengthening and adaptability in the human brain. In simple terms, the research suggests PEMF may influence how effectively brain cells reinforce their connections, a core process behind learning and neural adaptability.

Joshua Roberts 18:07 
And then moving on to the last bit in this section. PEMF has been used and shown in quite a lot of studies to help reduce oxidative stress. So why would this be relevant for autism?

Andy Smith 18:19 
Oxidative stress is essentially cellular wear and tear. It happens when the body produces more reactive oxygen species than it can neutralise using its antioxidant systems. This matters in autism because a large body of research suggests that in at least a subset of autistic individuals there can be a higher oxidative stress markers and or lower antioxidant capacity which may affect how resilient cells are under stress, particularly in energy demanding systems like the brain. If cells are already working harder to maintain stability, extra oxidative load can potentially worsen in inflammation, mitochondrial strain and signalling inefficiencies.

Joshua Roberts 19:03 
Some people will listen to the podcast for a long time, might already know this, but how can PEMF help reduce oxidative stress?

Andy Smith 19:09 
There are mechanistic research showing that PEMF can influence the cell's own antioxidant and stress response systems. One study looked at human skeletal muscle cells exposed to PEMF at 15 gauss and 75 Hz, applied for 4 hours a day over 2 consecutive days. The researchers didn't just look at the general cell health, they specifically measured a panel of stress-related proteins and found that PEMF increased the expression of several proteins involved in the cellular response to oxidative stress. PEMF did this without increasing apoptosis or impairing metabolic activity, suggesting the exposure didn't simply stress the cells, it appeared to support a more protective repair-ready state. They also ran a scratch-wound model to stimulate physical damage and found that PEMF-treated cells showed faster repair and wound closure, which the authors linked to sustained expression of proteins involved in managing oxidative stress and cellular damage responses.

Joshua Roberts 20:15 
So yeah, now let's look at how we can now kind of translate this into more practical terms of how PEMF can be applied, the intensity bit that you should use, frequency and everything in between. Let's start with application. How would you recommend people apply PEMF for autism?

Andy Smith 20:32 
Yeah, so on the application side of things, you really want to look for a full body applicator really when it comes to PEMF because with autism, you know, every situation is different, but you really want to look at treating the body as a whole, all the systems are not targeting it as, as being more specific. If I can draw on to kind of examples from people I know that have used devices for autism, one of which, you know, you don't want to disrupt the person's routine, especially if they're young. So one way in which they've done it is that a friend of mine was using the system on his sofa. He was sitting on the mat and then he had his daughter sitting on his lap and they often get sessions together. She's unaware so much that the session's really happening. So it's not disrupting her routine at all. And they were able to get that in quite consistently. The other way is to almost use a mat as a mattress topper. So the, you know, the young person or the person with autism can actually sleep on top of the applicator. They're quite close to the applicator then, and they're getting a session throughout the whole body. And that can really help with deep sleep. So that's really a good couple of examples. As I say, everything's different, but it's two examples of how you can apply PEMF therapy to someone who has autism that where you don't want to necessarily disrupt the routine. As a caveat to that at the end, I would say when someone gets used to using PEMF device a bit more, they might be able to apply a localized applicator. So if they do have areas of pain or if they want to almost like travel around and move around with the device and putting on more of a calming setting, then you can start looking at devices that are battery operated that can strap onto them, that they can understand what's happening, and then they can use more of a localized applicator. But in most instances, it's a full body application.

Joshua Roberts 22:21 
Yeah, for sure, as Andy said, with autism, you're not really ever targeting one specific thing. It can be a whole wide range of things. So really, you just wanna target the body as a whole. That way you're targeting all systems at once and nothing's really getting missed. And as Andy says, there is the localized applicator that also comes in as well, which can be useful for pain or even physical tension. Say they maybe get it in a certain area a lot, it'd be a good thing for them to use. And also for sleep, putting under the pillow or next to the bedside table can also help them with sleep. But so we've covered that application. What about intensity? What kind of intensities should people be looking for? When it comes to the intensity.

Andy Smith 22:58 
intensity. A lot of the studies are around the lower intensity devices. We would always recommend the low to the more the medium intensity device. So you're looking at about up to about hundred gauss, maybe 200 gauss devices. When we were talking about the application, you know, sometimes we have the people were sitting on your lap as to make it easier. You want so you want to go for a medium intensity device with a bigger field range, but also the effects of that has more so within the body.

Joshua Roberts 23:29 
So yeah, medium intensity really just has a broader range of biological effects. It's kind of worth throwing in high intensity here. And it might be good for maybe they have specific pains or muscle soreness or physical tension and high intensity PEMF could be useful in this situation. And obviously kind of when we look at autism, something like that or a sensory input like high intensity PEMF could be quite overwhelming for someone with autism, especially if they're nonverbal, because they want to be able to communicate effectively how that feels for them, whether they like it or if it's uncomfortable. So as I say, it does kind of have a place and it can be used, but maybe one that might be a little bit harder to approach and might need a little bit more kind of time and building into it, if that is something that they maybe struggle with more than maybe some of the other things we've spoken about today, but then kind of just looking at intensity or frequency, shall I say, and we've spoken a little bit about frequency earlier in one of the studies, what kind of frequencies would you be looking at here?

Andy Smith 24:29 
With frequencies for me, it always kind of follows the same suit and that doesn't take any exception of autism, you know, if anything else, you want to make sure those right frequencies are applied at the right time of day, especially for those. So my general rule is using higher frequencies in the morning compared to using lower frequencies in the evening. It's how the brain operates and runs throughout the day. You're running at a lot higher frequency in the morning and much lower frequency in the evening. So you can almost use PEMF devices to help with brain entrainment. So especially with overstimulation, when you have autism, you want to be winding that person down in the evening and really helping them to sleep. So using the right frequencies throughout the time of day is always my kind of recommended go to.

Joshua Roberts 25:13 
Yeah, exactly that. Like we always say, higher frequencies in the morning, kind of the 12 to 30 and then anything in the evening, kind of below eight, just to kind of help, as you say, get more kind of relaxed and winding down into towards the later part of the day. But now kind of for anyone who might be looking at using this for autism, say maybe they're considering using it for their child. How could you recommend them kind of track the progress? Because with something like PEMF, it isn't an overnight fix. Sometimes you can have kind of instant results, predominantly on sleep. But for a lot of the other things is kind of a gradual process. So how would you recommend tracking that just to see or just to make sure people kind of see how it is affecting their child or the person they're caring for? 

Andy Smith 25:58 
Yes, and one of the best approaches is to keep a simple daily or weekly log. This doesn't need to be complicated, just a few consistent notes. Instead of trying to measure autism itself, it's more useful to track things like sleep quality, how easy it is to settle at night, emotional regulation, tolerance to sensory input, and overall stress levels. For children, especially those who are nonverbal, observation becomes even more important. Parents or caregivers might notice things like shorter meltdowns, quicker recovery after sensory overload, improved transitions, changes in sleep patterns, or general sense that the nervous system seemed a bit more settled. For autistic adults, it might be easy to track things like energy levels, anxiety, focus, or how overwhelmed the day actually feels for them. Some people find it helpful to use simple scales, for example, rating sleep quality, sensory overload, or emotional intensity on a scale of one to 10. While others prefer written notes about what they felt easier or harder that day, the key is consistency rather than precision. It's also important to establish baseline before starting PEMF. Tracking for a week or two beforehand gives you something to compare against. From there, changes with PEMF usually show up gradually, not overnight. So having those observations written down makes it much easier to see whether PEMF is helping to support regulation and wellbeing over time. Even if the changes are subtle and with something as complex and as individual as autism, those small shifts are often the most meaningful.

Joshua Roberts 27:35 
And yeah, maybe it's good to start with a few kind of specific areas to start with that maybe the person you're caring for or making this track for particularly struggles with. For example, like one of the ones we used, if they really struggle getting to sleep at night, maybe that's one of the ones you really kind of focus on and make sure you track kind of a week before. And as he's using the PEMF, kind of consistently track it to see if you see that improvement over time. I hope you enjoyed this episode. This one was probably a little bit more scientific than our normal ones. We will try and kind of bump it down a notch for the next one, but we covered a lot of kind of complex topics in here. So I thought it'd be kind of a little bit more important to go a little bit deeper and maybe you go a little bit more scientific than we usually do. But all the studies that we've spoken about in this episode will be linked down below as well as the Instagram posts that I referenced at the start of this episode. And while you're there, just make sure to like, subscribe. And if you're on streaming platform, leave us a five star review. It just helps us keep making more and more of these episodes and get bigger and better guests on in the future.

Andy Smith 28:33 
Thanks for listening to another episode of the PEMF podcast.