Is magnetic therapy beneficial to maintaining health?

Yes

1 of 10

by Linda Sunkle-Pierucki

• 

Write now Print Invite a writer™ Add to Favorites RSS Feed Contact this writer

I couldn't live without my magnets! Well, maybe that's a bit strong, but I find magnetic therapy very helpful in relieving pain and improving joint function. I use them daily.
This is a subject that you will find few qualified opinions on. Most medical doctors don't believe they work, but that's because there are few peer-reviewed articles about the effects of magnetic therapy and that's the forum they are accustomed to.

No pharmaceutical reps show up on your MD's doorstep to spout the virtues of magnets: as the magnetic force is a natural phenomenon, there is little opportunity for patents and profits in magnetic therapy. Since most medical studies are funded primarily by the pharmaceutical industry, there is little interest on their part in proving that magnets work as claimed. That they do work, however, can be surmised by their long recorded history of use in oriental medicine. There are even reports of Cleopatra using magnets to enhance her legendary beauty. Magnetic therapy appears to have very similar effects to acupuncture in that both appear to aid the body's natural electrical fields in optimal functioning.

Studies of magnets' effects have been performed both in the United States and in Europe and Asia. Magnetic therapy is much more prevalent in other countries: in Germany, for example, it is covered by medical insurance. Some of the names of the more well-known researchers are Dr William H Philpott, Albert Roy Davis, Ph.D, Robert Becker, M.D. and Kyoichi Nakagawa, M.D. All of these may be researched on the internet and several have written books regarding the use and benefits of magnetic therapy. I would suggest you read some of their findings for yourself: you might well become a believer'!
\
Beneficia l effects from applied static magnets have been shown in such diverse body processes and systems as sleep, mental health, joints and bones, muscles, nervous system, vascular, reproductive and skin. Results of such studies are not well-publicized however, and most public knowledge of the benefits of magnetic therapy has been passed on as anecdotal.

Electromag netic therapies are widely accepted but most people do not appear to connect the two. Electromagnetic therapies such as the TENS pain reduction device and electro-therapy for healing difficult fractures are well-known and well-respected treatments. Electricity itself is a function of magnetism and the main difference in treatment is that electro-magnetics use a pulsed field, whereas common magnetism is a static field. Given the major medical breakthroughs such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) that have occurred from the more mundane study of magnetism, it's difficult to see why there is such resistance to accepting that basic magnetism may have health benefits.

One of the reasons magnetic therapy is given short shrift is that many people attempt to sell products via multi-level marketing efforts that make outrageous claims and use substandard magnets. Many are seriously over-priced and under-strength. Most magnetic therapy devices purport to be uni-polar, but call it bi-polar and confuse both the seller and the prospective buyer. North-face, or negative, magnetic fields are usually accepted to be the calming, healing field but Oriental medicine often uses the south, or positive pole to balance the body energy. The two poles have very different effects and cannot be used interchangeably for the same purpose if one expects to be benefitted.

Generally , a gauss reading of 3950 gauss is considered correct for penetration to internal organs as magnetism weakens according to distance from the magnet. Some cheaper magnets are truly bipolar in that north and south pole energies are embodied on the same side. As the unenlightened seller doesn't even know that there is a difference, he/she usually simply spouts the prepared sales pitch and doesn't much care whether the treatment actually works or not.

Proper strength and properly used magnets can have very useful effects, particularly in pain reduction without the use of opiates. One need not spend a fortune buying a fancy magnet: sources can be found for cheaper magnets of the correct strength several places on the internet. After pricing a 4 x 6 x inch uni-polar magnet at almost $200, I found a suitable magnet of the same size and strength for $25. I have used that same magnet for several years daily as a treatment for lumbar pain in my work as a truck driver. It allowed me to drive long distances in relative comfort for several years until I re-injured my back. That same magnet, used under my pillow relieves sinus headaches and the occasional toothache. I have another cheap Velcro band with several north-facing magnets I use on my wrist when beginning carpal tunnel sets in-it relieves the numbness and tingling within 20 minutes. My son suffers from arthritic knees and putting a magnetic mattress pad on his bed has relieved morning pain and stiffness to a large degree. My old dog, recently diagnosed with arthritis and serious spinal problems, sleeps on his magnetic pet pad. And because the magnetic field has the effect of preventing calcium molecules from clumping, I no longer have to replace my showerheads and washer hoses every few months; I simply taped a couple of small magnets on each to keep the lime from clogging them up.

I doubt if I can change anyone's mind as to the benefits of magnet therapy. A great many people prefer to believe they can do nothing to help themselves and it's necessary to pay a medical professional for every problem, ache or condition. To them I can only say, I hope you have a wise doctor as the side effects of so many prescription medications can be worse than the disease itself and will certainly lighten your bank account. For a serious condition, see your doctor immediately. But for daily aches and pains, a good therapeutic magnet can be a cost effective and safe addition to your medicine cabinet. The only caution-magnets are not recommended during pregnancy as there are no studies to prove safety and do not use with a pacemaker or other electronic medical devices. And, most definitely, keep your magnets away from your computer!

Learn more about this author, Linda Sunkle-Pierucki.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.