by Frances Stanford

Created on: May 24, 2009   Last Updated: May 30, 2009

Biomagnetic therapy is not new in the history of medicine. It has been practiced for at least 100,000 years and maybe longer. The Ancient Greeks were the first to discover the natural magnetism that exists in the human body. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, made note of the powers of the lodestone in bringing healing to the patients he treated.

Many countries of the world are very advanced in the field of biomagnetic therapy. In North America, the use of magnets is limited to the large machines used in hospitals to help diagnose diseases of the body and brain, such as MRI's. More and more health care practitioners, though, are becoming aware of the healing properties associated with biomagnetic therapy. If you have seen the advertisements for magnetic bracelets, or have used one of these small devices, then you are already aware of a part of what biogmagnetic therapy is.

This article will provide a brief look at this therapy in terms of:

*How Biomagnetic Therapy works

*The claims about its healing properties

*Scientific Explanations for its effectiveness

HOW BIOMAGNETIC THERAPY WORKS

Iron makes up about 4% of the blood that flows through the body. Since iron is attracted to magnets, when magnetic objects are placed on a specific area of the body this attracts the blood flow to that area. This brings increased oxygen and nutrients to the area and the muscles, since they are also getting increased blow flow, tend to lengthen and become more relaxed.

In a typical treatment, small magnets are attached to the acupuncture points of the body by means of adhesive tape. As the magnets polarize they act in a pulsating manner much like that of manipulating acupuncture needles, with the exception that there is no insertion of needles into the body and no pain associated with this therapy.

THE CLAIMS OF THE HEALING PROPERTIES

Ancient medical practitioners believed that the use of magnets helped to relieve pain and discomfort in the body. They were also found to be helpful in reducing inflammation and swelling and improve the circulation of the blood to the heart. Some claimed that this therapy would prevent viruses and bacteria from entering the body and if they did, the use of the therapy would render them harmless. In restoring the health of damaged cells in the body, it was claimed that biomagnetic therapy would heal the cells by bringing the blood flow to the tissues giving them the nourishment they needed.

SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATIONS

While scientists do not dispute the effectiveness of biomagnetic therapy, they say that it should not be used as the only form of medical treatment and that it is effective for only some medical conditions. The claims made about the healing properties of magnets for inflammation are correct, but the claims about the polarity of cells in the body are incorrect. Through the research conducted, it has been found that electricity and magnetism, while independent of each other, are connected and can bring about relief to pain in the body.

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