LifeWave controversies raise questions about company’s holistic fixes

The essential:

• LifeWave uses a multi-tiered marketing structure to sell holistic patches that purport to stimulate stem cells.
• Patches are not FDA approved medical devices.
• The company experienced financial and legal problems.
• Some people, including the late Suzanne Somers, say the patches can be extremely effective.

Many people are looking for natural, holistic methods to treat medical issues like insomnia, anxiety, or pain relief; and with stem cell therapy at the forefront of research, hot companies like LifeWave are exploring non-invasive treatments to improve overall well-being. Endorsed by the late Suzanne Somers, LifeWave uses stem cell activation technology via wearable external patches, but many have questions about these patented products.

Several lawsuits as well as LifeWaves’ multi-level marketing structure have raised claims about the legitimacy of the company and its products. So, what is LifeWave and are the patches safe and effective?

Founded in 2004 by inventor David Schmidt, LifeWave is a wellness company known for its non-transdermal patches that claim to have health benefits without requiring pharmaceuticals. LifeWaves advertising claims that it promotes the restoration of natural energy in the body, similar to acupuncture and acupressure, but it uses phototherapy to stimulate the skin with specific wavelengths of light in order to ‘enhance peptides in the body. These peptides work to enhance stem cells and repair tissues.

It does this through the convenience of a reflective patch about the size of a coin. For many, this holistic approach to healing and pain relief seems like an attractive alternative to invasive medical procedures.

Actress and New York Times Best-selling author Suzanne Somers was a longtime holistic health advocate and LifeWave ambassador before her death in October 2023. According to a press release issued by LifeWave in 2015, Somers promoted the patches in her book :Tox-Sick, saying that the miracle of these patches is complicated but simple. Simply put, they activate infrared light in your body much like sunlight does to produce vitamin D3.

LifeWaves healing technologies use energy medicine, which involves the application of low-level signals within the body (like Reiki and other natural, non-invasive healing therapies). According to National Library of MedicineDespite the fact that this type of healing has been used for thousands of years, clinical studies of its effectiveness are only just beginning to gain traction.

The Center for Biofield Sciences is a holistic research center located in Goa, India, which published an experimental study of LifeWaves X-39 patches. Volunteers wore the LifeWave patches for six weeks and the study found that they saw an increase in overall energy as well as a significant symmetrical distribution of energy between organs.

That said, while some users of the patch may experience positive results, it is not an FDA-approved medical device. In fact, the FDA has issued a general warning regarding stem cell therapies, stating that researchers hope that stem cells will one day be effective in treating many conditions and diseases. But unproven stem cell treatments can be dangerous, so get all the facts if you’re considering treatment.

Although you can purchase a LifeWave patch from the company’s website, they are also sold through multi-level marketing (commonly known as a pyramid scheme), which also raises questions about the legitimacy of the product and the ethics of the company.