The Magic of Magnets

Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth, Bill Clinton the list of celebrities who use magnets for the treatment of ailments is long and interesting. Cleopatra used magnets to preserve her beauty, Queen Elizabeth I had them for arthritis, and former US President Bill Clinton uses them for backache. While UK pop singer Mark Gillman use for cervical spondyloysis and eye ailments, Indian cricket stars use the magnets for stress and strain to the muscles of their body.

The therapy works on the principle of balancing electrical energy in the body by pulsating magnetic waves through different parts of the body. The electrical currents generated by magnets increase the blood flow and oxygen which helps to heal many of the ailments and countless numbers of people around the world are using magnets and this therapy is usually prescribed to relieve pain; - primarily muscle and joint pains, but occasionally headache, carpal tunnel syndrome and other types of pains as well. Among its many applications are strains, sprains of the spine, neck or limbs, hip and joint pain, arthritis and chronic pelvic pain, plus healing of bone fractures and some proponents even advocate magnets to relieve stress, combat infections and prevent seizures.

The devices employed in magnetic therapy range from small simple magnetic discs to large, sophisticated magnetic field generators capable of producing high intensity magnetism. The larger machines are typically used to treat bone fractures and other major implications. For pain management, small magnetic discs are usually taped to the body over the areas that radiate the pain, known as the pain trigger points. Magnets used for this type of therapy typically generate a field, about 10 times the strength of a typical refrigerator magnet. To hold the magnet in place, many people find sport bandages, head bands, elastic bandages or Velcro, more comfortable and less confining than tape.

To relieve stress and insomnia, some practitioners advocate magnetic blankets and beds, as these devices produce a much stronger field in order to compensate for loss of potency caused by their greater distance from skin. Although all magnets have two poles, (positive for South Pole and negative for North Pole), they vary drastically in size and strength. If you plan to try a magnet for pain relief, your best bet is to purchase therapeutic magnets from reputable medical vendors, and magnets delivering between 300 and 500 gauss (unit of magnetic flux density) are considered safe for home use.

Depending on the severity of the pain, the magnets may be left in place for as little as three minutes or as long as several days. Treatment frequency varies the nature and severity of condition. Often the magnet is applied several times per day for several days or for weeks at a time. Many people use this therapy at the first sign of reoccurrence of pain.

The rationales for magnetic field therapy are as controversial as the treatment itself, and some advocates ascribe the therapys purported benefits to its effect on the nervous system, which depends on electrical charges to deliver its signals. Others say that magnets exert a pull on charged particles within bodily fluids, thereby promoting the flow of blood to the damaged joints or muscles, boosting levels of oxygen and nutrients, thus ultimately relieving pain.

Some proponents say that a negative magnetic field applied to the top of the head has a calming, sleep-inducing effect, since stress is a factor in a wide range of ailments, the therapy can be beneficial as an adjunct in virtually any circumstances. Other therapists claim negative fields can destroy bacteria, fungal and viral infections. However there is no definitive proof of such an effect and mainstream physicians warn against any attempt to substitute magnets for traditional antibiotics.

Magnetic therapy is a drug-free form of treatment and physicians who prescribe it claim that it is one of the safest long term remedies available and fans of this therapy even argue that treatment outcomes are more predictable than most traditional approaches. Side effects are generally unlikely, however some practitioners have reported slight cases of dizziness when magnetic therapy devices were used near carotid artery; (The carotids are the two main arteries in the neck). Also, feelings of light headedness have been reported when devices were used continuously for more than 24 hours.

Some patients experience an increase in intensity of the pain during the first few treatments; others notice a warming sensation due to expansion of tiny blood vessels in the area over which the device is placed. The most common complaint however is skin rash or irritation that often develops from the adhesive used to attach the magnets to the skin. To alleviate this discomfort, many physicians recommend protective barrier products that can be applied to the skin prior to the adhesive tape. Vitamin E creams can also be used to soothe skin irritated by the adhesives.

Practitioners of magnetic therapy recommend a number of additional precautions:

1. Never use a magnetic bed for more than eight hours.
2. Wait at least 60-minutes after heavy meals before applying magnets to the abdomen. Earlier application is said to interfere with normal contractions in the digestive tract.
3. Remember that magnetic devices will stick to other metal products, possibly causing injury. Be cautious, for example, when removing a pan from stove while wearing a device on your wrist.
4. Be careful to keep the devices away from anyone wearing a pacemaker or defibrillator.
5. Although the treatments are usually administered at home, you shall need the advice of an experienced practitioner when starting therapy, since proper placement of magnets is considered very important. It is also best to remain under supervision of a qualified healthcare professional until your condition has resolved.

Testimonials

"I saw on FOX News of a treatment using magnets and it sounded promising, so I decided to try this treatment here in Pattaya, Thailand. After just 13 treatments I feel like a new person. I have more energy, feel more relaxed and sleep much better, sleeping very deeply. This has improved my moods from constantly brooding about this and that to getting more active and really enjoying my life. I plan to continue the maintenance treatment as long as I am in Thailand and I am considering purchasing the acupressure machine with infra red."

- Calvin Booth