Magnetic Therapy

Origins and historical development :

Ancient civilisations were said to use magnets for the treatment of a wide range of conditions. Cleopatra reputedly wore a magnetic amulet on her forehead to ensure that her youthful beauty never faded. It is also said in The Yellow Emperors Classic of Internal Medicine that the placing of magnetic stones on specific areas of the body can correct yin and yang imbalances. Even today, Tibetan Monks are said to place magnets on their foreheads to improve their concentration and learning ability.

In the 18th Century, the Austrian doctor Franz Anton Mesmer began researching what we now recognise as Magnetic Therapy. He claimed that magnets could enhance a universal force that flows through our bodies, which he called ‘animal magnetism’. Dr Mesmer, famous for his hypnosis techniques, gained a doctorate from Vienna University in the effects of gravity on health, and published “On the Medicinal Uses of the Magnet” in 1775. He believed that we have an electric life force that can be easily disrupted by disease. He stated that by applying electrical fields externally, the energy disruption could be corrected and the disease would then be cured. He went on to hold public clinics in Paris for “animal magnetism treatment”, which involved patients holding an electrically charged item whilst standing in a tub of water. This may have seemed like a dramatic approach but there is some evidence that it worked for a variety of conditions and it was very well received.

In the 19th Century magnetism became a popular area for research. By 1843 work on the application of therapeutic magnets had been published; and in 1878 it was reported that abnormal skin sensations regressed with the application of magnets. Interest in magnetism continued to grow and by the 1960’s the Barnothy family had set up a laboratory to investigate biological effects of magnetism at the College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois.

One theory behind Magnetic Therapy is that the iron atoms in red blood cells respond to magnets and when one is placed on a person’s body, blood flow increases through that area. This in turn improves the supply of oxygen and nutrients to cells and encourages the elimination of waste products. This seems to be sound, based on the actual practical effects that magnets have on various objects in our environment; for example, when they are used in plumbing. Magnets can be used to de-scale the interior of water pipes and prevent lime scale build up. A magnetic field is exerted upon the area where a magnet is placed on a pipe, keeping the calcium ions (which are positively charged) in suspension, thus preventing them from sticking to the pipe walls. Similarly, magnets are said to reduce clogging of the arteries and thus improve blood flow. This enables the body’s natural pain-relieving chemicals, the endorphins, to be transported through the bloodstream more efficiently.

What to expect during a treatment :

Magnetic Therapy is mainly practiced as a self help therapy, although a practitioner would be useful at first to advise which magnets to use on which areas of the body. Often magnets are placed on different acupuncture points around the body to aid circulation and lymph drainage as well as on the specific area of the complaint. Sometimes a practitioner will also recommend using electrical devices that emit pulsating fields at specific frequencies. The length of the session will vary according to the condition to be treated, the device to be used and the area to be targeted.

Conditions suitable for treatment :

Conventional medicine now recognises that strong electromagnetic fields, generated by electrical devices, can be effective in helping broken bones to heal. Doctors worldwide now also use electromagnetic fields to treat oedema, osteoporosis, deep vein thrombosis and wounds that are slow to heal. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans are now widely used in conventional medicine to diagnose disease and are considered to be safer and more sensitive than X-rays.

Evidence also shows that Magnetic Therapy can treat a variety of conditions such as sports injuries, sciatica, lumbago, joint pain, cystitis, sinusitis, insomnia, migraine, depression, inflammation, jet lag, constipation, menstrual pains, coughs, asthma, fatigue, tennis elbow, arthritis and rheumatism. It is possible to buy magnetic straps to wear over joints; as well as magnetic mattresses, pillows, car seat covers, shoe insoles and even tiny ‘super-magnets’ on plasters.