Science, Art, Litt, Science based Art & Science Communication

Rife machine low energy wave treatment: it is not reliable

Q: How can you prove rife machines are pseudoscience?

Krishna: In science, the word "proof" is not used because science does not provide absolute certainty, instead relying on accumulating evidence to support or refute theories, meaning there is no definitive "proof" in the scientific sense.

Pseudo-science a collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method.

Rife Machine (1922); Image source: Wikipedia

Rife machines produce low electromagnetic energy waves. These waves are similar to radio waves. Supporters of the treatment claim that the Rife machine can treat different conditions including cancer. There is no reliable evidence that the Rife machine works as a cure for cancer.

The Rife machine and other types of similar machines produce low energy waves. These waves are also called radio frequency electromagnetic fields. They have low energy compared to x-rays or radiotherapy which has high energy. The device passes electromagnetic frequency through them and into the body. The use of low energy waves as a treatment is less common, but there is some research on it.

Rife and his supporters say that all medical conditions have an electromagnetic frequency. Rife treatment works by finding the frequency of the condition. An impulse of the same frequency is then used to kill or disable diseased cells.

Many websites are claiming the Rife machine can cure cancer. Most of these claims are personal accounts. They don’t have any scientific research to back them up.

The Rife machine delivers the low energy electrical energy usually through your hands or feet. This might be electrical pads that you put on either your feet or hands or hand held plasma tubes. These attach to the machine, which produces electrical impulses. You use it for a few minutes a day, several times a week.

There have been some reports of electrical shocks and rashes due to this treatment.

Before doctors can use a new treatment, it goes through a long process of development especially in the labs. During this process, the researchers test to check that it works. They make sure that it doesn’t do any harm, and that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

The Rife machine hasn't been through the usual process of scientific testing. There are studies that looked at low energy waves as a treatment for cancer. They used machines that work in the same way as the Rife machine. Some of these studies are still going through in the laboratory.

One study was on a small number of people with advanced cancer. They had a type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma. Researchers found that the low frequency waves affected cancer cells. It did not affect normal cells. But this research is still at an experimental stage, and it’s not clear exactly how it could work. And importantly the electromagnetic frequencies used in this research were not the same as those of Rife machines. (1)

Despite the evidence that low energy waves might kill cancer cells, we need more research to establish this therapy.

There is no evidence till date that Rife machines have any effect on cancer or can cure HIV.

The American cancer society classes Rife machines as a form of alternative medicine, which it defines as unproven or disproven treatment methods. The machines either have not been tested in clinical trials or have been tested and found to be ineffective against cancer. (2)

Additionally, Cancer Research UK states that people could harm their health if they decide to choose unproven methods over approved cancer treatment. It also emphasizes there are no reputable cancer organizations that support claims the Rife machine can cure cancer. (2)

Rife machines and other at-home electromagnetic frequency devices will not likely cause any long-term risks. The electromagnetic frequency they emit is very weak, sometimes too weak to even penetrate the skin, leave alone “cure the disease”.

According to a 2013 review, no scientific evidence shows that the Rife machine or similar devices can treat cancer (3). The American Medical Association condemned Rife’s experiments at the time, and independent researchers were unable to replicate the claims he made in his work.

The most significant risk of using a Rife machine and this alternative medical practice is if a person delays standard cancer treatments, he will lose time and the chances of cancer leading into more deadly form increase. Those who choose alternative methods of treatment over conventional treatment methods have a greater risk of dying from the disease.

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