Using magnets as a therapeutic method for treating various health ailments has been around for centuries. Magnets produce a force called a magnetic field, and in magnetic therapy, thin versions are attached to the body or put into clothing and accessories. They are worn for an extended period of time mostly to control pain. Magnetic therapy is an alternative or complementary practice and should not be used in place of conventional medical treatment.
History
Many cultures have used magnets as health remedies for hundreds of years. In the
3rd century A.D., Greek doctors used magnetic rings to treat arthritis. Doctors in the Middle Ages used magnets to treat baldness and gout; clean wounds; and to remove objects from the body that contained iron, like arrowheads.
After the Civil War in the U.S., healers promoted clothing items with magnets and magnetic creams to recharge personal magnetic fields, which were thought to deplete with illness. As the 20th century progressed, magnets were used more frequently to treat medical pain problems.
How Magnets Work
Magnets are normally made of metals like iron or alloys, which are mixtures of metals or metals and nonmetals. Proponents believe the energy fields produced by magnetic therapy penetrate the body. Some cells and tissues in the human body have electromagnetic impulses, and current magnetic therapy advocates believe that these impulses are disturbed when illness or pain is present. Magnetic therapy is believed to reverse these disturbances and return the body’s magnetic fields back to normal.
Application
The magnetic fields in magnetic therapy are applied to the body on certain key areas. For example, magnetic therapy for leg pain would involve putting a magnet on the leg. Magnets can be used individually or in groups. Large magnetic field-generating machines, as well as blankets or mattresses containing magnets, that are present in a room with the patient can be used for a whole body experience.Therapeutic bracelets, necklaces or shoe insoles may have magnets as part of their composition.
Potential Benefits
Magnetic therapy has been used to treat arthritis, cancer, circulation disorders, diabetic neuropathy, fatigue, fibromyalgia, infections, muscle pain, nausea, stress and insomnia. The theory behind this treatment is that magnetic energy may change how nerve cells function by blocking pain signals; restore balance in cell growth and regeneration; and increase blood flow and oxygen to tissues. Advocates believe the negatively-charged magnetic fields speed the healing times of cuts and broken bones and fight the effects of toxins and addictive drugs.
Scientific research on magnetic therapy to date has not found evidence to support claims that it reduces pain and provides pain relief. Currently the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, views magnets as harmless and of no use for medicinal purposes.
Considerations
While the FDA considers magnets harmless, people with pacemakers, defibrillators or insulin pumps should exercise caution as magnets may interfere with these devices. Magnets should not be placed directly on open wounds. Some adverse reactions from the application of magnets to the skin include nausea and dizziness. Always inform health care providers about alternative medical applications such as magnetic therapy to ensure fully-coordinated care. Do not replace traditional medical treatment with magnetic therapy.
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