A surprising number of people have found magnets to be a safe, effective way to deal with pain and niggling health problems. Sports people have known for years that magnets can help to heal human and animal sports injuries. Champion Professional Golf Association golfer Jim Colbert wears two coin-sized magnets on his lower back to help with a problem he has had since he was 15. The Miami Dolphins football team use magnets to speed recovery from aches, pains and injuries. Animals can also benefit. There have been many stories of arthritic or injured horses and dogs restored to youthful vitality.
The concept of magnet therapy is not new. Cleopatra and Elizabeth I are both said to have used magnets as part of their health and beauty routine. What is new is the wide range of magnetic products that you can buy and use at home to treat a range of disorders and maintain good health. Thirty years of research and hundreds of scientific papers support the many uses of magnet therapy in disorders ranging from sprained ankles to diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Most of this research originates from Russia and eastern Europe. Perhaps because of the language barrier, many Western doctors have not read or accepted it. However, studies have also been conducted in recent years in the USA, and thousands of Chinese hospitals are taking part in a large-scale study of electromagnetic treatment for cancer, with promising early results. This does not mean that magnets area cure for cancer and a great deal of research is still needed before we can say that magnets are a cure for anything.
Likewise, it isn’t yet possible to say how magnets stimulate healing in the body. What we do know is that the earth and everything on it has a magnetic field. Our bodies, organs and every single cell also have their own magnetic fields. Applying magnets to the body has been shown to affect cell permeability, making it easier for nutrients and oxygen to enter the cells and waste products to be cleared away. It seems to improve circulation, which in turn relieves pain and inflammation, and improves health generally. Russian research suggests the magnets also stimulate the immune system to produce particularly potent defender cells.
There are two types of magnetic energy used in therapy: pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and static magnets, like fridge magnets. Pulsed fields are the more powerful and these are emitted by electrical devices used by physiotherapists and orthopedic and other surgeons to help mend bone fractures and speed wound healing. They are also used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The magnets used in self-help devices are static or earth magnets, which emit very weak EMFs and are safe to use at home as a treatment or preventative.
Magnetized Water
Holistic beauty guru Bharti Vyas drinks magnetized water. “It’s so easy to do,” she says. “Just tape two magnets, about the size of a coin, one on either side of a bottle of water, leave for 15 hours, keep at room temperature and drink within four days. I find it improves my immune system, circulation, skin and energy levels. I rarely get colds or bugs, and if I do, I recover quickly. I also have so much energy.”
Biomagnetic Therapy
Biomagnetic therapy is the professional arm of magnet therapy, practiced by therapists such as osteopaths, homeopaths, and acupuncturists, as well as GPs and vets. It was developed 17 years ago by Dr Osamu Itoh, a doctor of acupuncture, who discovered he could achieve longer-lasting results with magnets and needles than with needles alone. The therapy is like acupuncture without needles; the therapists use small magnets instead.
Although the magnets are often used in conjunction with other forms of treatment, they can also be used on their own for children or people who, for example, dislike needles. Treatment usually lasts 20 minutes. Some people feel some pain relief within minutes and practitioners say they can see tense muscles relax during a session. The effects of the therapy are cumulative and it can continue to have a balancing effect on body systems and organs for several days.
Self Help With Magnet Therapy
- Small individual magnets: you can tape these onto small areas of pain or use several together in a painful area.
- Magnetic bracelets: worn on the wrist, ankle or knee for pain relief and general health improvements.
- Mattress and pillow pads: reputed to enhance immunity and circulation, improve sleep quality, reduce stress and relieve pain. The pillow pad is supposed to improve oxygen flow to the head and face, relieving tension, improving skin conditions and reducing wrinkles
- Insoles: said to relieve aching or painful feet, leg cramps and restlessness, and improve circulation.
- Dog/cat collars: to relieve aches and pains in older animals and improve health.
- Magnetic boots and tendon wraps for horses: a well established treatment for pain, injuries or stiffness in legs and throughout the body.
Get a wide range of magnet therapy products from Magnetic Therapy Sales Specialists, Inc.
Magnet Therapy Is Good For:
- Fractures
- Osteoporosis
- Muscle damage
- Sports injuries
- Joint pain
- Arthritis
- Back & neck pain
- Blood pressure & circulation problems
- Insomnia
- Stress related problems
- Headaches & migraines
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Skin disorders
- Repetitive strain injury
- Improving energy levels
- Joint & circulation problems in animals
Magnet Therapy:
AVAILABILITY – Limited
MEDICAL EVIDENCE – Sparse
MEDICAL ACCEPTANCE – Limited
SELF HELP – Possible
