The Positive Health Effects of Amateur Radio.

The electromagnetic spectrum is, or at least once used to be, the attention of all sorts of wild claims about adverse health effects.

Ham radio hasn't generally been the victim of widespread antagonism from the general public, at least in the way that mobile phone masts once were.  Strangely, phone mast health concerns appear to have vanished as soon as the operators gained the ability to install towers simply by informing local authorities, rather than asking for their permission.  Evidence, perhaps, that too much democratic influence isn't always a good thing.

But are there any positive health effects from radio, and more specifically, amateur radio? 

I'd argue that there certainly are.

As I've noted in recent blogs, I have been suffering from the intense pain brought about by a prolapsed vertebral disc.  It's not something I'd wish on my worst enemy.  Mercifully, I am now coming through all that nightmare.

But, between the pain, the back exercises and the pills, going on the radio from time to time also had a very positive influence on my recuperation.  Instead of wallowing in pain on my own, I could have nice QSOs with someone far away.  I could look up their QTH on Google and, for example, experience in some small way the wide, open expanse of the central Russian skies.

I don't know how much my pills cost the Welsh NHS over several weeks.  But they didn't come cheap.  It would be very interesting to see whether, for those who have the licence or for those who might like to get one, ham radio could complement treatment for various health problems, most notably those of depression and loneliness, in a cost effective manner.  It would be surprising if it could not.