Magnetism is one of the most primal forces in nature. It's the guiding force that maintains the structural integrity of each one of the trillions of atoms and cells that compose each one of our bodies. For millennia, magnetic force, or magnetism, has been employed as a modality for healing. It's effective for general uses such as improved immune function, energy enhancement, stress reduction and use for specific conditions such as arthritis, muscle pain, cancer, Parkinson's disease, depression and heart disease.
History
References to bio-magnetic therapy can be traced to ancient Egypt. The Greeks, whose understanding of medicine evolved from prolonged interaction with Egyptian physicians, greatly lauded the healing powers of magnetism and were the first to incorporate the lodestone--a rock with a very high natural magnetism--into their healing practices. Bio-magnetic therapy has been referenced in Chinese and Indian medical history, and is a well-established healing modality in many other nations today, including Japan, Germany and Austria.
Types
Bio-magnetic therapy is generally divided into two fields: pulsed bioelectric magnetic therapy and fixed magnetic therapy. Eighty-five to 90 percent of the scientific literature is on pulsed bioelectric magnetic therapy; the remainder focuses on therapy with fixed solid magnets. Pulsed bioelectric magnetic therapy is usually reliant upon devices and machines that can vary greatly in sophistication. Pulses are emitted and modified to be ailment-specific and facilitated by a qualified physician.
Fixed solid magnets are simple solid structures that emit a magnetic field and promote healing by being placed on near different places on the body in correspondence with an ailment.
Poles
One controversy within the field of bio-magnetic therapy has been finding a common standard of agreement on the understanding of poles. Magnetic fields, and thus magnets, all have a positive (south) and negative (north) pole. The negative, or north, pole is commonly attributed with bio-magnetic healing properties, while the south, or positive, pole is attributed with just the opposite. Pulsed bioelectric magnetic therapy allows a facilitator to modify the poles at will, while fixed solid magnets pose great questions as to their potentially adverse effects--although many (and the world's first) bio-magnetic healing effects can be attributed to them. Most professionals agree that there is a lack of a substantial body of research available regarding the understanding of fixed solid magnets.
Complications
There are important differences considered in the usage of therapeutic magnets. Stronger magnets penetrate deeply. Problems covered by large skin or bone areas require stronger magnets. A magnet's strength is measured in gauss, and magnets can range in strength from a few hundreds to many thousands.
Thickness and spacing are also considerations that bio-magnetic therapists take into consideration when administering therapy. The thickness of a magnet affect the gauss of its magnetic field, and the spaces between multiple magnets affect the smoothness and consistency of the magnetic field.
Warning
Although bio-magnetic therapy is considered a safe form of supplemental alternative therapy, there are times when therapy with magnets is not advisable. Individuals with pacemakers and electronic implanted devices should not use magnets near the apparatus. Pregnant women and epileptics are advised against magnetic therapy until sufficient research proves otherwise--especially near the abdomen and brain, respectively. Because magnets also lessen the stickiness of blood platelets, if you use magnets near an active bleeding wound it actually increases the amount of bleeding. It's best to wait until the wound shows sign of coagulation (stickiness) or healing before applying magnets.
