A Primer On Magnet Therapy

These days, magnet therapy or using magnets to heal pain is becoming popular with the public at large. Unfortunately, this popularity goes on unabated despite the lack of scientific evidence that can prove magnets have any real therapeutic benefits.

In the medical profession, doctors have been skeptical about the magnets having any therapeutic value.

Theoretical claims

The claim that magnets can heal have not been scientifically proven since. However, there are theories that magnets (they call them “biomagnets”) do not necessarily heal but it can stimulate the body to heal naturally.

There are other claims of what biomagnets can do from proponents of magnet therapy. These include restoration of cellular magnetic balance, and the so-called acceleration of the migration of calcium ions of ions to help heal bones and nerve tissues.

Magnet therapy claims that the body’s circulation is enhanced due to the presence of iron in the blood and thereby increasing blood flow. The last two claims declare that magnets have a positive effect on the pH balance of the cells as well as influencing hormone production.

Magnet polarity

One of the most obvious characteristics of a magnet is its polarity, the south (positive) and the north (negative) poles. The Chinese also associate the poles with their traditional yin and yang, where the north pole is the yin and the south pole is the yang.

Accordingly, the north pole (negative yin) is traditionally attributed as cooling and sedating and is associated to heal low back pain, arthritis, inflammation, headaches, and sharp pains.

The south pole with its stimulating and heating characteristics is the positive yang. It is associated with healing such afflictions as tingling, numbness, weak muscles, paralysis and scars.

Conditions

Some bodies seemed to lack positive and negative energies to heal. In such cases, the therapist applies both the north and south poles together (bipolar). This is mostly used to heal fractures and chronic pain.

Usually, the type of ailment determines the type and strength of the biomagnets used in the treatment. Also considered are the following conditions: the length of time the patient had the illness, the severity, the area of the body and the patient’s sensitivity.

Sensitivity to magnet therapy sometimes causes light-headedness, sleepiness, headaches and itching. Sometimes, the conditions get worse as toxins are released.

Prohibitions

Biomagnets are prohibited for use on pregnant women, patients with epileptic histories, taking some blood-thinning medications or if there is some internal bleeding.

They are not to be used on patients with a pacemaker or some other metal implants. Care should also be taken in the use of magnets on infants and children as well as the use on the eyes, brain or over the heart for all ages.

Power

Biomagnets are measured in terms of gauss, the line of force pr unit area of the pole. (The earth’s surface is about 0.5 gauss.) Magnet therapy experts begin their therapy at low gauss and increase the strength gradually.

Last words

There had been claims from patients on some significant improvements in their conditions (pains and other ailments) with the application of magnet therapy. However, there is still a lack of scientific data to validate the effectiveness of magnets. Doctors are still reluctant to prescribe it to treat even simple ailments.