It would be nice if you could choose your mood as easily as you could select a song by pushing buttons on a 1950s tabletop diner jukebox. OmniPEMF’s NeoRhythm headband wearable doesn’t have buttons, but it responds to gestures and taps. Simple finger motions control various programs that the company claims can help you sleep better, relieve stress, boost your alertness, reduce pain, and more. The NeoRhythm headband uses pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) technology to transmit brainwave-matching frequencies.

PEMF technology is most commonly used to manage pain. We wrote about PEMF earlier when we covered the Oska Pulse wearable from Oska Wellness in 2017 and 2018 during different testing phases. Users employ the Oska Pulse for pain relief. A randomized, double-blind placebo study at Scripps Memorial found the Oska Pulse effective. Most of the test group reported significant pain reduction.

OmniPEMF send me a sample NeoRhythm headband to try. I am most interested in any help the wearable can give with sleep improvement and for pain relief from a chronically sore bursa and tight left IT band. After pairing the NeoRhythm with a Bluetooth mobile device, you can choose from eight stimulation programs in an app. The selections include enhanced mental capacity, energy and vitality, deep relaxation, improved sleep, pain control, meditation theta, and meditation calming and synchronization. Depending on the selection you can select from one or more preset durations from 30 minutes to eight hours. OmniPEMF also recommends different locations on your head or neck for the various programs.

The NeoRhythm transmits delta (<4 Hz), theta (4-8 Hz), alpha (9-13 Hz), beta (14-30 Hz), and gamma (=>30 Hz) frequency waves, The idea is that since certain brain functions and personal moods are associated with specific frequency ranges, proximity to steady frequency transmissions can have a training effect.

I’ve just begun to use the NeoRhythm and can report that the packaging is professional and the device operates exactly as described. I spoke with an OmniPEMF representative who said that in his experience some users may find the wearable more effective for particular functions than for others. The OmniPEMF site includes helpful references and multiple PEMF studies Including two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies with relaxation and attention.

PEMF training can take 30 days or more of two or three sessions a day, so it’s not a one-shot cure or mood aid. If I notice significant effects, good or bad, I’ll report back next month.