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Biomagnetic Therapy (Viewpoint of an Expert)
By Dr. Michael Tierra L.AC., O.M.D.
Magnetic energy is a structuring force of the universe. As such, it is a reflection of the order that causes the infinite stars and planets throughout the galaxies to revolve and spin at incredible velocities while remaining in their respective orbits. As one of the four fundamental forces of nature along with gravity, nuclear energy and radioactivity, electromagnetism is equivalent in definition to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) concept of 'Qi', or the East Indian Ayurvedic definition of 'Prana'. These concepts are what many in the West, regard as the 'life force'.
Personally, I have had long occasion to experiment and use magnets beginning with myself and then extending to family, friends, students and patients. Two particular occasions on myself were most convincing. Both were soft tissue injuries, one to my elbow and the other, a ligament injury of my knee, which I will describe further on. The elbow pain stemmed from an unknown cause, perhaps an injury or strain. It had persisted for at least 2 weeks during that time I tried acupuncture and herbal treatments, which offered only minor temporary relief. As is well known, soft tissue injuries can take some time for repair. It would be most helpful, however, if during that time, there was a simple, non-invasive method to hasten the healing and relieve the pain.
I decided to experiment using magnets to treat the problem. While I had previously heard of magnet therapy, basically that there was a difference therapeutically between the magnet's North and South polarities, I had no previous experience or further knowledge of their use. When I taped a small 1000 Gauss acumagnet directly on the skin over the 'trigger' point or center of the pain in my arm. I was amazed to find that the pain almost completely disappeared within 5 minutes. I decided to experiment further, first by removing and reapplying the magnet a few times. Each time the pain returned when the magnet was removed and all but completely disappeared again when reapplied. I then experimented by turning the magnet over to change its polarity from North, which is cooling and dispersing, to South, which is heating and building. I discovered that when the South side of the magnet was against the skin, the pain intensified and by reversing the magnet to North, it was alleviated. Since that time, I have been intrigued with the therapeutic possibilities of bio-magnetic therapy. However, I still had no idea whether the magnet treatment to my arm was only symptomatic or could eventually promote complete healing. Further, I found that there were discrepancies both in print and from various distributors concerning the importance and definition of the North and South sides of a magnet. Despite my confusion, I tentatively began to use magnets on my patients. Because, however, I had such an unsure grasp of any basic theoretical or practical methodology, my results were inconclusive.
I say all this because there may be others who, like myself, felt or presently feel unsure about the value and results of an experience of biomagnetic therapy. Through my example they may appreciate a further corroboration by another who has become fully convinced that biomagnetic therapy may well be one of the safest and most powerful natural healing methods, especially for the relief of pain ever discovered by humankind.
Interest in magnets was rekindled a few years later when I had a crippling soft tissue injury to the medial aspect of my right knee. It was particularly debilitating because there were few positions either standing, sitting or reclining that could provide relief. Having nearly all but forgotten about my previous experience with the magnets on my elbow, I began by using acupuncture, moxabustion (heat applied to specific acupuncture points) and herbal poultices, fomentations and liniments. Everything helped but I still could barely walk or find a comfortable position to either sit or recline.
I certainly was not looking forward to having to stand and be present at a forthcoming natural products trade show that included a promised diversion to my excited young son to a nearby entertainment park. In desperation I remembered the all-but-forgotten magnets that I stored in a cupboard near my bed. I systematically applied the North magnets to the trigger points located near the site of pain around my knee. Estimating what meridians were involved, I positioned the South magnets further up the femur and hip on the Gall Bladder and Bladder Meridians. I found, however, that it was the local application of the North magnets around the knee that was most effective. Within two hours after their application, the pain was 95% gone.
Again, I decided to conduct the same experiments on my knee that I had done a few years previous on my elbow pain, by removing and reapplying them, changing the magnets to irrelevant locations and reversing their polarity. My previous findings were absolutely corroborated. I eventually discovered that I needed to wear the magnets on the trigger points around my knee nearly continuously for about two months before the problem became sufficiently stabilized and resolved.
After this second powerful experience with bio-magnetic therapy, I decided to apply magnets on all my patients along with the acupuncture, dietary and herbal therapy that was part of my normal practice. I wanted to discover for myself the range of their effectiveness for a wide variety of complaints. Since that time, I have found biomagnetic therapy to be around 90% effective for the relief of pains and conditions caused by inflammation. For example, a woman with diagnosed symptoms of colitis, had tried many forms of conventional and non-conventional treatment over the year previous but was relieved with the application of magnets to her lower abdomen within a week. Another man with arthritis in his hands and fingers with only minimal response from acupuncture and herbal therapy used magnetic balls to relieve and eventually remedy his condition completely. Similarly, another man had encroaching stiffness in his fingers that was threatening to impair his main love, playing the guitar. He also found the results he was seeking with the use of magnetic balls. As a pianist, I can only imagine the benefit these simply magnetic balls could be to the many who have suffered injury from repetitive use or wrong playing.
Everyone, who had acute or chronic lower back, elbow or knee problems found relief and in many cases, complete recovery from the local application of magnets. Patients with asthma, found that the application of magnets to their upper back or chest would provide them the relief they desperately needed without any further external medication. The list goes on to include patients with upper respiratory allergies, gastro-intestinal and digestive complaints, migraine headaches all were relieved with the use of magnets and the list of conditions continues to expand. Now with the expanded methods of application using magnetized water, magnetized oils, magnetic mattresses and magnetic mattress pads, jewelry and so forth, I am convinced that there is no condition that bio-magnetic therapy would not be at least helpful. Because of my experience with traditional Eastern systems of medicine, including Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) and East Indian Ayurvedic medicine, I was able to tangibly experience the fundamental energetic basis of healing with magnets described in various traditional healing systems around the world. I could tangibly understand that the North facing side of a magnet was equivalent in energy to the definition in TCM of Yin, or in Ayurveda of Shakti energy. The South facing side was equivalent to TCM Yang, or Ayurvedic Shiva energy. I also understood that the relative strength of a magnet determined whether it was to be used as an important energetic nutrient when in low strength (under 1000 gauss), or a high powered therapeutic tool in high strength (over 3000 gauss) that should be used with due respect. Essentially, like other forms of natural healing energy, if reasonably used, magnets are very forgiving. Except for the obvious contraindications noted, it is rare that anyone would experience anything more than a minor discomfort or aggravation usually caused by using magnetics that are too strong, applying the wrong North-South polarity for a given area or generally an overexposure to a strong magnetic field. If, for instance, one misapplies them over a wrong area, uses the wrong polarity or uses magnets that are inappropriately too strong, there may be a period of minor aggravation and discomfort that is easily remedied as soon as they are appropriately changed or removed. As with herbs, acupuncture and all other systems of natural healing, trial and error is a valid approach to biomagnetic therapy.
Science recognizes a close relationship between electricity and magnetism. In 1820, Hans Oersted of Denmark discovered a direct relationship between electricity and magnetism by showing that an electric current flowing in a wire caused a nearby compass needle to be deflected. Following the discoveries of Oersted, Ampere, the 18th century physicist whose notable achievements were germinal to the harnessing of electrical energy, discovered a quantitative relationship between the strength of an electric current with the magnetic field it creates (Ampere's theorem). Noting the close relationship between electricity and magnetism, he described magnetism as "electricity thrown into curves".
Just as the stars and planets revolve in galactical orbits, each atom has a nucleus around which spins various positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons that in turn generate a magnetic field. To reiterate, health represents a balance of these positive and negative forces described in TCM as Yin and Yang, in Ayurvedic medicine as 'Shiva' and 'Shakti', and in Western physiology as the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.
The current theory of 'free radicals' as the cause of degenerative diseases and aging, is based on the concept of a negatively charged electron spinning out of their orbit, invading another cell which in turn causes a cellular disruption that sends other subatomic particles off their respective orbits. This results in cellular chaos. Biomagnetic healing is able to passively provide a stimulus for the restoration of balance at a subatomic level and offset the devastating domino-effect of harmful free radicals.
Because every atom generates an electromagnetic (EM) field, we, along with all of nature, are imbued with the power of electromagnetism. It is also possible for us to channel our innate positive electromagnetic energy for healing both ourselves and others.
Stressing the importance of electromagnetism, Einstein said, "we may therefore regard matter as being constituted by the regions of space in which the field is extremely intense .....There is no place in this new kind of physics both for the field and matter, for the field is the only reality."
The mystic founder of Theosophy, Madame Blavatsky states similarly in different terms when she describes: "Matter is spirit at its lowest level and spirit is matter at its highest level."
It is said that what may be described as matter, the nucleus of an atom, is so infinitesimal that if we were to gather all the nuclei of a human body, it would be no larger than a period at the end of a sentence. Thus, modern physics theorizes that what we call matter may not be particles at all, but the presence of an impenetrable electro-magnetic field.
Life, comprised of a complex chain of bio-chemical and physiological processes is activated and animated by an invisible bio-magnetic force. Apropos of this, Dr. F.K. Bellokossy of Denver, Colorado, described life as an "infinitely intelligent interaction of electro-magnetic energies carried by chemical substances."
Modern medicine has come to depend upon such high tech diagnostic procedures as the (ECG) electro-cardiogram, the (EEG) electroencephalogram, the (EMG) electromyogram to measure the electrical activity in the heart, the cerebral cortex and the skeletal muscles respectively. If there were no electrical energy in the body, such tests would not be possible.
From the perspective of bio-magnetics, health is based upon the individual cells of the body vibrating at a characteristic normal frequency. Disease, on the other hand, represents an abnormal change in cellular vibration. The therapeutic application of magnets and herbs, at the deepest level, is based on the principle of restoring normal cellular vibration.
This understanding should make magnetic therapy very accessible to those who have an energetic approach to treatment and it would include Traditional herbalism, TCM, Ayurveda and some Western 'holistically' oriented mind-body therapies.
About the author: Dr. Michael Tierra is the founder of the American Herbalists Guild, author of numerous books on health and herbal healing including The Way of Herbs, The Natural Remedy Bible and The Way of Chinese Herbs (Pocket Books), Planetary Herbology, Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine, Vol. 1 & 2 Biomagnetic and Herbal Therapy (Lotus Press) and The East West Course of Herbology.
Magnetic Field Therapy: Professional and Personal Observations by Edward Friedler, M.D.
By Dr. Edward Friedler, MD
I use and I recommend magnetic products to my patients. I sponsored an introductory lecture on Magnetic Field Therapy to other family physicians. Is this professional heresy, or open mindedness with the interest of my patients coming first?
My formal training in Family Practice required exposure to all the traditional medical and surgical specialties. A family physician must have a wide array of management options for his or her patients. In spite of years of training and clinical experience, it is unfortunately not unusual for my "bag of tricks " to be unsatisfactory or empty! Because it is anathema for me to tell patients "There is nothing more I can do for you," I have referred some to chiropractors and not discouraged others seeking help through other "alternative" providers. And now, I am one too!
I use magnetic products for a variety of ailments. Because I see people in the setting of a medical office, there is an expectation that any treatment is recommended after a working diagnosis is made. In other words, I listen to and examine my patients and get appropriate lab information and x-rays first. Once the data is collected and considered and a working diagnosis made, I then organized a discussion on treatment options.
For the person complaining of fatigue, I treat anemia with iron and vitamins, not a magnet. For a person with achy legs and low potassium, I treat with potassium, not a magnet. Yet there are times when iron, potassium, aspirin, or a narcotic pain pill are not the appropriate remedies, or are not enough. In these cases, I encourage my patients to try a magnet. Let me share some success stories.
Cancer:
Dr. F was diagnosed with cancer at age 41. After three months of chemotherapy, he decided that because the track record for chemotherapy was poor, it would be crazy to not add other modalities to his own treatment. Since his oncologist was concerned with chemotherapy dosing, and didn't know about other treatments, Dr. F on his own added Magnetic Field Therapy, via a magnetic mattress pad, seat pads in the office and home, and a large magnet worn against the lower spine. (Dr. F added other "modalities" over the next few months.) He experienced fewer negative side effects of chemotherapy, to the surprise of his oncologist. He lived, and still lives to tell about it, I am happy to say, because Dr. F is me!
Arthritis:
I remember Mrs. R whose knee joint had no cartilage. No medicine prescribed by me or other doctors had helped her. I taped a small magnet to her knee after a physical exam, and left the room while she got dressed. When I came back to minutes later, she was bending her knee in disbelief; it didn't hurt. The arthritis wasn't gone, but the severe pain was.
Fractured Rib:
Mr. E had fallen and broken a rib; his oncologist had given him Percocet for pain. He came in to see me, saying the rib still hurt and the drug made him feel bad. I advised him to place a magnet where the pain was causing him discomfort. He later told me the diminishment of pain was "instantaneous." The rib was still broken, but he was able to discontinue the Percocet. When he broke another rib two months later, he used a magnet first.
Brown Recluse Spider Bite:
Mr. W was bitten by a brown recluse spider. He had a one inch ulcer on his lower leg that was not healing. It hurt, too. We taped a magnet over the ulcer. The pain was less and it began to heal up quickly. The magnet, while he used it decreased the pain.
Swollen Eye:
A boy had been hit in the face by a baseball. His eyelids were swollen. He had already used ice. I gave him a mini magnet and told him to use it where the sting occurred. The swelling was gone the next day. I was surprised.
Shoulder Pain:
Dr. Q was experiencing a nagging pain in her shoulder for more than three months. She attended the lecture on Magnetic Field Therapy. During this event she held a magnet to her shoulder. The next morning, her shoulder was normal and the pain was gone. My own theory is she used the magnet on her own. (At that same meeting, another doctor used a magnet on a painful knee, which had been through many drugs and physical therapy. The next day, she came to my office for a second magnet, because it was helping her so much.)
Tiredness:
When all the tests are normal, doctors often diagnose depression for tired people. Some respond to anti-depressant treatment. For Ms. E, magnetic shoe insoles worked. She even returned to her karate class.
As a physician I prefer to understand as fully as possible the workings and applications of Magnetic Field Therapy. I study this in my own practice. I tell my patients about magnets, and I show them the Magnetic Field Therapy Handbook as a guide to usage. I have not had anyone say, "No thanks, I would rather suffer." I am grateful to have Magnetic Field Therapy as a positive intervention for helping the patients in my medical practice.
About the author: Dr. Friedler is a Family Physician in Annandale, VA.
FEELING GOOD
Chi Chi Rodriguez, another popular senior player, has been using a magnetic mattress since a trip to Japan some 30 years ago. Magnets are widely used for pain and overall wellness in that country, as evidenced by the dozens of tiny ones taped to the body of New York Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabo.
Pro football players are reporting quicker recovery from injury with the use of magnets. Ronnie Loll, the former all-pro safety with the Oakland Raiders, is a spokesman for Bioflex, one of several American magnet therapy companies chasing the Japanese manufacturer Nikken. "I was willing to try anything within league limits to relieve pain during my playing days," said Loll, now a broadcaster with the Fox network. "But, believe me, I would not have kept using magnets if they didn't work."
Many doctors have doubted that the experiences of such pro athletes can be replicated in clinical trials. But one controlled, randomized study published in the Archives of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine last November is beginning to change some minds. In the experiment, which involved 50 people suffering from pain years after a bout with polio, researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found significantly reduced symptoms among subjects using magnet devices with power slightly stronger than refrigerator stick-ons. The results were corrected for any placebo effect.
Of course, more studies are needed to determine if greater magnetic intensity (called gauss) might bring more results, whether the pain relief is temporary or lasting, and whether there is any drop-off in effectiveness if magnets are used constantly.
Even most critics admit there is no physical harm in trying magnets for most people, though there are questions about whether a magnetic field can disrupt pacemakers, insulin pumps, drug patches and pregnancy.
Fiscal risk is another matter. There's little investment at the lower end of magnet products, say $20 or less. It gets more expensive if you want a special bracelet for wrist or elbow pain ($150 range) or a magnetic pad for your bed (about $500 and up).
"For some people with pain symptoms, magnets are not only the best treatment but the least expensive one," said Dr. Julian Whitaker, co-author of "The Pain Relief Breakthrough: The Power of Magnets." (Little, Brown and company). "Most anyone with back pain should benefit from using them." Whitaker says magnets can be equally beneficial for arthritis, menstrual cramps. carpal tunnel syndrome and various sports injuries. His book details the history of magnet therapy, With its roots in China (where it is still used by some acupuncturists), India and Egypt. He explained magnets are not respected by American doctors because there are few U.S. studies confirming results. One obstacle is the magnetic fields can't be patented, so any company wishing to prove that magnets work at considerable expense if government endorsement is the goal only does the heavy lifting for a host of competitors. "I think magnets have potential to work for cancer and other diseases, maybe autoimmune disorders," said Whitaker. "I don't know how the mechanisms will work, but think it can be effective."
Source: Chicago Tribune, Thursday March 12, 1998
Magnetic Healing Does it Work?
by Tom Edward
The idea of magnetic energy or magnetic therapy is centuries old. Legend has it that Cleopatra wore magnetic bracelets and necklaces for healing. Though actively employed by medical doctors in America in the 1800's and early 1900's, magnetic therapy eventually fell out of favor. But in the past decade, magnetic therapy has become a 100 million dollar a year industry in this country (magnetic therapy has long been used as an effective healing tool in China, France, India and Japan, especially in repairing soft-tissue injuries).
Studies on magnetic therapies in the Journal of Electro-and Magnetobiology led some pioneering doctors in this country to experiment with magnets in their practice. Their activities helped to standardize the use of some magnets, the magnet size and strength-in treating various conditions. The length of exposure to a magnet for healing certain ailments was also determined. Because of their work we know which magnets work most efficiently for example, a magnet placed in one specific area of the body may not activate the entire body's healing power, whereas sleeping on a magnetic mattress pad radiates a magnetic field that can penetrate evenly into every part of the body and boost the entire immune system.
Through the growth of the magnetic therapy industry, different magnetic products have been designed which can be useful in treating many conditions. Some of the most commonly used magnetic products include the previously mentioned magnetic mattress pad which can alleviate insomnia, joint pain, muscle spasm and fibromyalgia. Magnetic insoles for shoes are often helpful in relieving painful inflammation resulting from bone spurs, and for gout and to improve circulation. Magnetic pads and wraps which can be secured to the lower back, knees and elbows are recommended for arthritic joints, inflamed tendons and carpal tunnel syndrome.
What is a Magnet?
In any material that is capable of being magnetized, there are groups of atoms with their own magnetic orientation arranged haphazardly in the material. When that material comes into contact with a strong magnetic field, it rearranges the groups of atoms so that they are in alignment. As the groups of atoms become aligned, they project a magnetic field.
Magnetic energy has different names. Some people call it energy or life force; the Chinese call it Chi, the Indians know it as Prana. Whatever you choose to call it, magnetic energy is a basic force of life-it pulses throughout the galaxies and is found everywhere in nature.
How Do Magnets Heal the Body?
Some researchers and doctors say that magnets don't actually heal the body. Science knows that the human body is composed of numerous cells that combine to form blood, tissues, bones and organs. These cells are in the constant state of renewing themselves. Dr. Robert Becker, one of the leading medical doctors who advocates the use of magnets in healing, believes that the force which stimulates cellular growth and division is electromagnetic energy.
He and other scientists contend that the charge on the cells of the body gets depleted as cells perform their normal daily functions and that the body tries to "recharge" the worn down cells by sending pulses of electromagnetic energy from the brain through the nervous system.
James Souder, President of Norso Biomagnetics in Raleigh, North Carolina, claims that studies performed on animals, and microscopic examination of blood vessels, indicate that capillary blood flow is stimulated by the movement of magnetic fields through tissue and is the dominant factor in magnetic field therapy.
Is All Magnetic Energy Healing?
No.
As previously stated, magnetic energy is a basic force of nature and necessary to all biological systems. Magnetic energy pulses from far-off galaxies; the sun showers us with magnetic fields. Our earth, itself a huge electromagnet with north and south poles, protects us from harmful cosmic radiation. Cosmic radiation is so potent that it is capable of penetrating a 12 foot thick block of lead. But it cannot penetrate the earth's protective magnetic shield.
There is increasing evidence that there are harmful effects from high pulsating magnetic energy emitted from power transmission lines, TVs, radios, computers, microwaves and myriad electric appliances. The ordinary 60 cycle alternating electromagnetic fields created by technology seem to exert stress on the body's cellular level. It is reported that they can cause memory loss, headaches, changes in heartbeat and blood chemistry. Melatonin production can be reduced, and the brain's electromagnetic signals to the cells can be blocked, diluting the body's disease-fighting ability.
Studies of exposure to alternating electromagnetic fields have shown mutagenic effects, cancer cell promotion and a lowering of the body's pH to a more acidic level.
In addition, energy deprivation caused by living in concrete buildings also appears to have negative effects on the body. Dr. Kyochi Nakagawa, Director of Isuzu Hospital in Tokyo says that "Magnetic Field Deficiency Syndrome," produces symptoms such as headaches, back and neck pains, insomnia, heaviness of head and general lassitude.
Using Magnetic Energy Beneficially
While there are many applications claimed for magnetics, from the reduction of scar tissue to the treatment of internal organs, the predominant use of magnetic devices is the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and myofacial pain. While, as previously stated, the mechanism by which this pain relief occurs is subject to much conjecture, there is a consensus that heightened blood flow to the area under the footprint of the magnet is one of the primary results of magnetic treatment. The results have been demonstrated by both thermographic and nuclear medicine studies. There have also been evidence of pain blocking phenomena in certain nerve fibers related to the application of magnetic fields. And researchers have been able to demonstrate changes in the electrical potential of nerve cells which raise the threshold for transmitting pain impulses as a result of magnetic fields.
Some scientists subscribe to the "Hall Effect," which promotes the idea that ions in the blood are manipulated by magnetic fields thus producing a heating effect in the magnetized area and increasing blood circulation. James Souder disagrees, and insists that "from a biological perspective, magnets activate or turn on capillaries creating extra blood supply at the cellular level as opposed to the older notion that magnets produce a local heating effect to stimulate blood supply, which is essentially what the Hall effect is about."
Dr. Dean Bonlie, Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the North American Academy of Magnetic Therapy, explains that when the body is fatigued, a "loss of static charge" on the body's cells causes a "clumping of red blood cells." Through magnetic field supplementation, he says, chemical reactions are enhanced, building up the charge on cell walls which cause the cells to repel each other, reducing the clumping. With more surface area available, he says, the oxygen-carrying capacity of the cells is increased which in turn reinvigorates the body.
Another source of disagreement among magnetic therapy advocates is the healing quality of negative and positive poles. Such prominent voices in the magnetic therapy movement as Dr. Philpott say that "there are distinct and opposite effects of the two separate magnetic poles on metabolic function...in terms of biological response, the separate negative and positive polarities are as distinctly opposite as day and night, hot and cold, and acid and alkali." Dr. Philpott claims that his clinical observations show that negative magnetic field energy should be used to fight infection, normalize acid/base balance, increase cellular oxygen and reduce fluid retention. He claims that using positive magnetic field energy can actually decrease cellular oxygen, accelerate microorganism growth and result in acidic metabolic response. James Joseph, an independent research consultant for Optimal Living Associates, agrees with Dr. Philpott.
Dr. Philpott concluded that positive magnetic field energy creates an acidic condition in the tissue and negative magnetic field energy creates alkalinity after performing before and after saliva tests on patients being treated with a whole-body negative magnetic field. Dr. Bonlie, in a similar test, found that patients who had tested over-alkaline in pre-testing became more acidic, indicating that whole body treatment with a negative magnetic field brings normalcy from either end of the spectrum.
Dr. Bonlie claimed that this happened because of "simple rules of physics. When an atom is placed in an increased magnetic field," says Dr. Bonlie, "the charge is increased on the atom for a fraction of a second. This increase in energy is expressed by an increase in the velocity of some of the orbiting electrons and protons. In the case of paired electrons, one is sped up and the other slowed down. This imbalance causes a phenomenon known in physics as precession (wobble). This is much like increased molecular action which takes place from heating a solution to make a chemical reaction take place. Precession causes electron transfer which is the basis of all chemical reactions in the body. In summary, when the magnetic field is increased in which the atoms of the body exist, body chemistry is enhanced, assisting it in normalcy which improves body performance and healing."
While the physics of magnetic energy is debated, its benefits are being experienced by people around the country. Dr. Ronald Lawrence of Agoura Hills, California asserts that magnets have been extremely effective in the control of arthritic pain in many of his patients. Dee Massengale, an exercise physiologist in Atlanta, Georgia suffering with fibromyaglia since 1982, says that of all the therapies she's tried magnetic devices have been one of the most valuable tools for pain management.
In one of our own experiments, Anne Ziselman of Hollywood, Florida slept with magnet wraps strapped above her kneecap. She reported a reduction of arthritic swelling and a softening of the inflammation after four nights of use. "Sometimes the swelling goes away by itself, but the only times my knee has softened was when I had a cortisone shot," said Mrs. Ziselman.
Getting Started with Magnetic Therapy
First some caveats. Magnets are not meant to be used with pacemakers or automatic internal defibrillators. Nor in cases of pregnancy.
There are some other basics to know about magnets. To begin with the power of a magnet. The strength of a magnet is measured by a gauss meter in gauss units power by the iron weight it can lift (the term gauss denotes the electromagnetic unit of magnetic flux density equal to one maxwell per square centimeter). For example, a magnet that can lift two pounds of iron weight has 530-600 gauss power; five pounds of iron weight has 900-1250 power; 25 pounds has 2500 gauss power. The magnet's strength is determined by its size, weight and the type of material it is made of.
Magnetic therapists have general guidelines for magnetic use. Magnets with 1000 to 3000 gauss power [on the magnet's surface] are recommended for chronic diseases like rheumatism, paralysis, back ache and injury to large muscles. More delicate parts of the body such as eyes or ears require less gauss power of around 500. 500 gauss should also be employed when treating children.
The depth of penetration of a magnetic field into the body is another important factor in magnetic healing and is in direct relationship to the size of the magnet as well as its gauss power. A magnet can have a strength of over 10,000 gauss but if it is small it might only penetrate an inch or two into the body. But a magnet of 4" x 6" and 1000 gauss can penetrate the body completely (magnetic energy has not been fully standardized in terms of application for all diseases, but a rule of thumb for use established by the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare is a minimum of 500 gauss for any significant illness).
Drinking magnetically treated water is another way to reap the benefits of magnetic energy. Magnetically treated water is relaxing to the body. Put an 8-ounce glass of water on the negative pole of a magnet for five minutes or longer and drink twice a day as a general preventative.
Lastly, scientists have been recording the strength of the earth's magnetic field over the past 158 years and they claim that its magnetic field, and subsequently the intake of magnetic energy into our bodies, has been reduced by more than 8% in that time (this rate of decline has been verified by measurement of the decrease of north-south orientation of magnetite crystals in deposits in volcanic flows and sediments that date back as far as 4,000 years). As the human body is electromagnetic by design - composed of charged particles such as atoms and ions - advocates of magnetic therapy say that chemical and electrical actions of the body can be strengthened by exposure to the right kind of magnetic fields.
The range of healing using magnetic energy has been found effective in treating complaints from acne to asthma, but knowing the proper gauss strength, how and where to place a magnet on the body and the duration of exposure to magnetic energy are variables that a trained practitioner would know best. Keep an open mind as you explore this alternative therapy, but be practical and find a therapist who can help you to maximize its benefits rapidly and safely.
Source: Newlife, July 1996
Biomedical Engineering Study Demonstrates the Healing Value of Magnets
by Melissa Maki
Jan. 2, 2008 - Magnets have been touted for their healing properties since ancient Greece. Magnetic therapy is still widely used today as an alternative method for treating a number of conditions, from arthritis to depression, but there hasn't been scientific proof that magnets can heal.
Lack of regulation and widespread public acceptance have turned magnetic therapy into a $5 billion world market. Hopeful consumers buy bracelets, knee braces, shoe inserts, mattresses, and other products that are embedded with magnets based on anecdotal evidence, hoping for a non-invasive and drug-free cure to what ails them.
The FDA regulates specific claims of medical efficacy, but in general static magnetic fields are viewed as safe, notes Thomas Skalak, professor and chair of biomedical engineering at U.Va.
Skalak has been carefully studying magnets for a number of years in order to develop real scientific evidence about the effectiveness of magnetic therapy.
Skalak's lab leads the field in the area of microcirculation research - the study of blood flow through the body's tiniest blood vessels. With a five-year, $875,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Skalak and Cassandra Morris, former Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering, set out to investigate the effect of magnetic therapy on microcirculation. Initially, they sought to examine a major claim made by companies that sell magnets: that magnets increase blood flow.
The researchers first found evidence to support this claim through research with laboratory rats. In their initial study, magnets of 70 milliTesla (mT) field strength - about 10 times the strength of the common refrigerator variety - were placed near the rat's blood vessels. Quantitative measurements of blood vessel diameter were taken both before and after exposure to the static magnetic fields - the force created by the magnets. Morris and Skalak found that the force had a significant effect: the vessels that had been dilated constricted, and the constricted vessels dilated, implying that the magnetic field could induce vessel relaxation in tissues with constrained blood supply, ultimately increasing blood flow.
Dilation of blood vessels is often a major cause of swelling at sites of trauma to soft tissues such as muscles or ligaments. The prior results on vessel constriction led Morris and Skalak to look closer at whether magnets, by limiting blood flow in such cases, would also reduce swelling. Their most recent research, published in the November 2007 issue of the American Journal of Physiology, yielded affirmative results.
In this study, the hind paws of anesthetized rats were treated with inflammatory agents in order to simulate tissue injury. Magnetic therapy was then applied to the paws. The research results indicate that magnets can significantly reduce swelling if applied immediately after tissue trauma.
Since muscle bruising and joint sprains are the most common injuries worldwide, this discovery has significant implications. If an injury doesn't swell, it will heal faster - and the person will experience less pain and better mobility, says Skalak. This means that magnets could be used much the way ice packs and compression are now used for everyday sprains, bumps, and bruises, but with more beneficial results. The ready availability and low cost of this treatment could produce huge gains in worker productivity and quality of life.
Skalak envisions the magnets being particularly useful to high school, college, and professional sports teams, as well as school nurses and retirement communities. He has plans to continue testing the effectiveness of magnets through clinical trials and testing in elite athletes. A key to the success of magnetic therapy for tissue swelling is careful engineering of the proper field strength at the tissue location, a challenge in which most currently available commercial magnet systems fall short. The new research should allow Skalak's biomedical engineering group to design field strengths that provide real benefit for specific injuries and parts of the body.
We now hope to implement a series of steps, including private investment partners and eventually a major corporate partner, to realize these very widespread applications that will make a positive difference for human health, says Skalak.
Source: University of Virginia - Research News; UVa Today
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