Even though magnetic healing has been around for thousands of years, there are still mixed reports as to whether the therapy works. The National Center on Complementary and Alternative Medicine says there is a little evidence that magnets relieve pain but deeper investigations do not support the claims. Proponents of the magnet claim it can heal arthritis, migraine headache and stress related pain.
History
The first magnets used by humans were the Lodestones, according to the National Center on Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Magnets were used by Greek doctors to alleviate arthritis pain. These doctors made magnetized pills from amber to stop internal bleeding. In the Middle Ages, physicians utilized magnets to get metal out of the patient's body in addition to treating baldness, poisoning and gout. Post Civil War era doctors began to use magnets for a wider variety of problems, including backaches, liver problems and headaches. Pain management for arthritis, fibromyalgia, and foot pain are common uses of medical magnets today.
Function
Magnets come in a variety of strengths and are measured in units of Gauss. The capital initial G represents the Gauss unit. Metals and alloys are used to create Magnets that form a quantifiable magnetic field. Healing magnets usually range from 300 to 5,000 G, much stronger than the earth's natural magnetic force of approximately .5 G.
Effects
Magnetic therapy advocates assert medical magnets influence nerve conduction to block pain signals from reaching the brain. Electromagnetic therapy, is also known as magnetic, biomagnetic and magnetic field therapy. Physicians at the University of Maryland School of Medicine recognize the magnetic therapy definition from the book "Complimentary Therapies" by William Mac Beckner and Brian M. Berman. The authors define this therapy as a treatment for stress, constant pain, sleep disorders, circulatory conditions, and some forms of arthritis.
Expert Insight
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a field of medicine that connects short electronic impulses and directs them to the brain for the management of mental disorders. According to the University of California, the program is approved for the treatment of depression by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Descartes Li, a psychiatrist at the University of California in San Francisco, states the procedure has "modest clinical benefits."
Features
Consumers can purchase simple healing magnets from health food stores and online retailers. These home use magnets are manufactured into pillows, shoe inserts, mattresses and bracelets. Magnets are also included in adhesive patches that you can place over an injury.
References
- National Center on Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Magnetic Therapy
- University of Maryland School of Medicine: Integrative Medicine
- University of California, San Francisco: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
- American Cancer Society: Magnetic Therapy for Pain
- American Cancer Society: Electromagnetic Therapy
