Thursday, July 10, 2008

The Attraction Of Magnetic Therapy

Author: John Morris

Magnetic therapy is an alternative treatment for common ailments. The most commonly treated ailments for that magnetic therapy is used for are arthritis, pain, inflammation, muscle tension, migraines, tumors, asthma, allergies, diabetes and many other joints or healing complaints. Some researchers indicate that magnetic therapy really does work while other scientists believe otherwise. Although magnets have been used to treat medical ailments for thousands of years, there is no scientific evidence to prove the effectiveness of magnetic therapy. Of course, there are numerous testimonials from people who will swear by the healing power of magnets. Could it be mind over matter, or do magnets actually have healing properties? It depends on who you ask. Consider that part of the experience is the one to improve your positive energy, not see scientific evidence.

1. Magnetic Therapy

Magnetic therapy has been found in ancient Chinese medical texts and even in some Hindu religious documents. The Egyptians, Romans and Greeks have also used magnetic therapy to treat a variety of ailments from arthritis to depression. In todays world millions of people are turning to magnetic therapy to treat a wide range of medical conditions, from your average person to many professional athletes. The belief in the effectiveness of magnetic therapy is astronomical. Magnets are being sold in many forms, the most popular being the magnetic jewelry like bracelets sold through commercials, infomercials and now through the internet and can range from $5 to $800 in price. Magnetic jewelry may come in assorted sizes, shapes and styles containing an internal iron within the magnet that is assumed to arouse the production in the blood stream that controls the content of oxygen. Its also believed that a form of stabilization develops in the nervous system to ease pain or discomfort.

2. Alternative Health

Many alternative practitioners believe that magnets really do have healing power and state that the latest research indicates that magnetic therapy really does work. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas performed a controlled study by using real magnets and fake magnets on patients who suffered leg pain from post-polio syndrome. In this study, 76% of the patients who were treated with the real magnet felt relief from the pain, whereas 18% of the patients treated with the fake magnet felt pain relief. Other researchers have shown that magnets have helped to relieve pain in patients suffering from Fibromyalgia. This study had patients sleep on magnetic mattresses and patients who slept on ordinary mattresses. The patients who slept on the magnetic mattresses experienced an exceptional pain relief than those who slept on the ordinary mattresses. In Diabetic neuropathy, research concluded the effectiveness of using magnetic foot pads to treat diabetes related complaints such as tingling; pain and numbness in the foot have also been successfully treated by using magnetic foot pads. Nearly 80% of patients suffering from this diabetes related complaints claimed the use of magnets greatly relieved the pain, tingling and numbness.

3. Relaxation Uses

When magnets are held against skin, capillary walls relax, and increase blood flow to the painful areas in your body. Magnets are also used to prevent muscle spasms at the base of pain by intervening with muscle contractions and by interfering with electrochemical reactions within the nerve cells, to impede the ability to transmit messages of pain to the brain. There are many prescriptions and over the counter pain relieving drugs available, the attraction of magnetic therapy is that it has no risky side effects.

4. Starting With Magnetic Therapy

If youre just starting off, it may be best to begin with an earth metal neodymium-boron coin shaped magnet. These magnets work great and cost less than other magnets on the market. All magnetism is measured in gauss. The higher the magnetic gauss, the greater the pain relief is. The ordinary refrigerator magnet is around ten gauss, making it too weak to effectively penetrate the skin and relieve anything other than a minor bruise. Medical magnets can range from 400 to just over 10,000 gauss.

5. Securing Your Magnet

Place the magnet over the afflicted area. You can secure it with adhesive bandages or tape. If the magnetic does not provide any relief over the next few days, try repositioning it. If the repositioning fails to work after three to four weeks, then you can safely assume that magnetic therapy is not going to work for you. Try switching to another magnet or one with a higher gauss, or consult your doctor about other methods you could use.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-attraction-of-magnetic-therapy-64794.html

About the Author:
For more great magnet therapy related articles and resources check out http://therapycentral.info

The Pain Attraction - Magnetic Therapy

Author: Pete Wyatt

For thousands of years, Chinese, Egyptian, Roman, Greek and Hindu practitioners have used magnets to successfully treat medical ailments such as arthritis, chronic pain, inflammation, muscle tension, migraines, tumors, asthma allergies, diabetes and more. Scientists have been unable to come up with conclusive evidence to disprove the effectiveness of magnetic therapy, while more and more people swear by its healing power.

As an ever-increasing therapy for alternative treatment of not only common ailments but also many other afflictions, Magnetic Therapy has finally hit the mainstream. Numerous people, who have had exceptional success with magnets as a form of pain control, have offered testimonials swearing by the healing power of magnets. Skeptics respond by stating that the healing power of magnetic treatment for pain control is no more than mind over matter. Chronic pain sufferers, who have had success with magnetic therapy for the constant pain of fibromyalgia or arthritis, are quick to disagree.

Today, many professional athletes, workout gurus and an ever-increasing number of ordinary people are turning to magnetic therapy to treat a wide range of medical conditions. Their belief in the healing powers of magnets as a pain control aid is substantial.

Magnetic jewelry has become the most popular method of application for magnets. Found in assorted sizes, shapes and styles, magnetic jewelry is sold through many venues such as infomercials and Internet sites with prices ranging from $5.00 to $800.00. All contain internal iron within the magnet, and this is what many believe arouses the production of oxygen in the blood stream, which in turn controls the pain. Most believe that a form of stabilization develops in the nervous system, which aids in easing pain or discomfort.

Recently, many alternative practitioners have attested that magnets really do have healing power. They refer to the latest research, which indicates strongly that magnetic therapy really does work.

Baylor College of Medicine researchers in Houston, Texas performed a controlled study, using real and fake magnets on patients who suffered leg pain from post-polio syndrome. 76% of the patients in this study who were treated with the real magnets felt relief from the pain. Only 18% of the patients treated with the fake magnets felt pain relief. In another study, researchers demonstrated that magnets helped to relieve the pain of patients suffering from Fibromyalgia. This study had had a group of patients sleep on magnetic mattresses and another group of patients sleep on ordinary mattresses. The patients who slept on the magnetic mattresses experienced considerably more pain relief than those who slept on the ordinary mattresses.

In Diabetic neuropathy, research into the effectiveness of using magnetic footpads to treat diabetes and its related complaints such as tingling, pain and numbness in the foot, resulted in an astounding success. Nearly 80% of patients suffering from these diabetes related complaints claimed the use of magnets greatly relieved the pain, tingling and numbness.

When magnets are held against the skin, the capillary walls relax thus increasing the flow of blood to the afflicted area. Magnets are also used to prevent muscle spasms at the base of pain by intervening with muscle contractions and by interfering with electrochemical reactions within the nerve cells impeding the ability of these nerves to transmit messages of pain to the brain.

Although there are many prescriptions and over the counter pain relieving drugs available to treat the chronic pain of fibromyalgia, arthritis and other pain-causing diseases, all have potential detrimental side effects. The attraction of magnetic therapy is that it has a proven effectiveness and there are virtually no risky side effects.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/the-pain-attraction-magnetic-therapy-55125.html

About the Author:

Pete Wyatt is a chronic pain sufferer. His wife has a neuro-stimulator implanted in her back and does not have any painfree moments. Their quest for information to deal with their pain resulted in the creation of their site at http://pain.3trends.com/

Healing With Magnets: Effective or Futile?

Author: Janet Martin

You might have laughed when you came across advertisements of magnetic bracelets being sold to help alleviate countless conditions from cancer to diabetes and headache to arthritis; you thought, it is quite impossible for magnets to help remedy even the slightest ache, not to mention serious diseases. However, the claims made by sellers of therapeutic magnets actually have some basis.

For starters, magnets have been used by our ancestors to help ease a number of conditions. Moreover, a University of Virginia research actually found that magnets have an effect in boosting circulation and reducing swelling and inflammation in rats. People can benefit from magnet therapy in alleviating swelling and pain due to sports injuries, according to researchers.

But before you head to the nearest store to get hold of magnets or magnetic bracelets, necklaces and other trinkets, you need to understand that not all magnets sold in the market are designed for healing. It is also important to note that when used wrongly, this material can actually have harmful effects. If you are really interested in trying out this time-tested therapy, you first need to know the following facts.

Magnet Therapy Restrictions

In order to protect Americans from unscrupulous individuals, the Food and Drug Administration has put restrictions on the sale of healing magnets. You need to know that sellers cannot claim that magnetic objects can treat serious conditions such as AIDS, arthritis or asthma. However, the agency has allowed, albeit temporarily, the selling of magnetic objects to help alleviate pain and improve blood circulation.

Certain Magnetic Strength Is Required To Reap Benefits

Placing magnets that you get from refrigerators or bags on your problem areas is not going to be helpful. You need something that is stronger, one with not lower than 300 gauss (a unit that measures the strength of magnets), to ease minor pain and inflammation. Some people may actually require a magnet with strength of 5,000 gauss to actually reap its benefits.

Many products sold in the market do not really have the required strength for healing purposes. But if you are just interested in magnetic bracelets for aesthetic purposes, then you can buy any magnetic trinket that is available in department stores or online.

However, if you want magnetic objects that actually provide good results, you need to be more vigilant in choosing what to buy. If the magnet can attract a pin or paperclip even when it is wrapped in a thick cloth or sock, then you can be assured that it can actually penetrate the tissues of your body. However, if the pin or clip falls all the time, the magnetic strength of your bracelet or trinket is inadequate to ease your pain and inflammation.

Know The Poles

The negative and positive poles of a magnet actually have different uses. If the magnetic object being sold to you does not specify the polarity of the area that is close to your skin, it is better not to buy it.

If you want to relieve aches and swelling, you need to use the negative end of the magnet because it provides a calming, sedating and cooling effect. The positive end, on the other hand, can be dangerous when used by inexperienced people because this side can actually exacerbate your condition and pain. In fact, is used improperly, the positive end can stir up the proliferation of viruses and bacteria. Thus, it is really imperative to know which side is next to your skin before you buy any magnetic object. You don't want to pay a big sum for something that will make you feel worse than you do now.

There is really nothing wrong with using magnets to help ease the discomforts you feel due to swelling and pain. However, it is important that you are knowledgeable about their proper use. It is also advisable to consult your doctor before wearing any magnetic object because it may affect your other health conditions or any other apparatus that you may be wearing.

Magnet is not the only alternative that you can use to lessen the swelling and soreness in your joints. You can actually rely on hydration therapy, aromatherapy and quality supplements to help treat arthritis and other inflammation-related conditions. One product that can be used for all types of muscular and arthritic pain is Flexcerin. Visit http://flexcerin.com/ to know more about this product.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/healing-with-magnets-effective-or-futile-325353.html

About the Author:
Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com.

Magnetic Therapy for Sport Injuries

Author: Gordy Weiss

Magnetic Therapy have been used in the international sports world for many years for
healing injuries due to sprains and repetitive strain. Due to its capability of quick healing it is ruling a major area in the world of sports medicine. Sometimes much kind of injuries has to be treated and healed as quickly as possible and magnet with its quick healing properties is employed in the area of injury to aid the sports person towards a faster recovery.

The increasing popularity and acceptance of bio magnetic therapy is based on two main factors. The increasing confirmatory scientific research conducted on the various healing properties of magnets and the absolute weight of communicative evidence.

Research conducted in using magnets for healing the areas of sprains and repetitive strain injury has come out with positive results. Research shows that magnets have an anti-inflammatory effect. How does it happen? Inflammation causes dilation of the blood vessels which is clinically termed as vasodilatation. Placing a magnet next to the skin will result in constriction of the blood vessels which is clinically called vasoconstriction which causes the opposite effect of vasodilatation thus reducing the cause of inflammation. Research also shows that magnetic therapy or use of magnetic
product as proposed by your therapist helps to maintain the ph balance which often gets imbalanced when you are injured or suffering from ill health. In such cases magnets speed up the migration of calcium ion to heal nerves and tissues. The theory that works behind the healing of the injured area explains that an increase in negative electrical potential which carries a negative charge is involved in the process of healing which is indicated as the North Pole by some researcher. Magnetic applications also increase blood circulations and nutrient carrying potency. Research has also been reported that
magnets also help to produce body's own natural pain killers called endorphins, when nerve fibers are subject to a magnetic field and also produce melatonin a hormone that promotes restful sound sleep. Although these effects has not been conclusively proved yet.

The different magnetic products available for sporting injuries that enhances the well-being and vitality of an individual is possible due to its faster recovery times, no drugs involved, safe and is without any side effects, minimal expert advice is required to use them, inexpensive and reusable. The growing interest from countries including Great Britain, Holland, Canada and the United States apart from Japan, China,India, Australia and Germany shows that though the theory behind the healing property of magnet is still not supported by the scientific community but its effects are felt.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/magnetic-therapy-for-sport-injuries-179586.html

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Magnet Therapy

Author: Abhijit Banerjee

Magnet therapy, which is a $5-billion market worldwide, is a form of alternative medicine which claims that magnetic fields have healing powers. Magnet therapy stimulates the earth’s magnetic field and places your body in an optimum environment to heal itself. Proponents of magnet therapy claim that benefits range from curing pain from muscle aches and arthritis to cancer.

Research Supports Claim

Long derailed as pseudoscience, magnet therapy got a boost when a group of University of Virginia researchers, investigating the effect of magnetic therapy on microcirculation, found that magnets can reduce swelling when applied immediately after an inflammatory injury. Tests on rats revealed that magnets dilated constricted blood vessels, and constricted vessels that were dilated, suggesting that magnetic fields could relax blood vessels and increase blood flow.

Quite a few research studies have shown that claims made about magnetic cure may be right.

• The Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in a study found magnet therapy effective at blocking pain caused by post-polio syndrome. (This syndrome, marked by leg pain, affects up to 20% of polio sufferers later in life.)

• Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston found that magnet therapy helped relieve muscle pain caused by Fibromyalgia

• The New Your Medical College of Valhalla study report found relief from numbness, tingling and pain associated with this diabetes-related problem with magnet therapy.

Ancient yet Controversial Therapy

Though magnet therapy had been is use for thousands of years, it remains controversial. It is still rejected by traditional doctors, or just ignored as an alternative medicine. Cleopatra wore a magnet ring on her head to preserve her charm. Ancient text like the Vedas of India have recorded that the effects of magnetic phenomena were recognized in the earliest times. Greek physician Galen described during the second century AD how magnets were used for healing purpose.

Ancient Egyptian priests also documented the use of magnets. The 15th century Swiss physician and chemist Paracelsus hypothesized that magnets might attract diseases out of the body.

Varying Cure Theories

In Western medicine magnetic fields are used in magnetic resonance imaging. According to some theories, magnet therapies improve circulation, increase blood oxygen, decrease deposition of toxic materials in blood vessel walls (such as cholesterol plaques) or relax blood vessels through effects on cellular calcium channels.

Altered nerve impulses, reduced edema or fluid retention, increased endorphins, muscle relaxation, cell membrane effects or stimulation of acupoints, are other cure theories prescribed. However, none of these theories has been adequately assessed by scientific research.

Treating orthopedic problems

Magnet therapy has been found effective in treating orthopedic problems like cervical and lumbar spondilytis, slipped disc, lower- back pain, knee pain, sciatica, paralysis, polio and stiffness.

The north pole of a magnet, which is said to kill germs and also immobilize malignant bacteria, is effective for boils, eczema and skin rash. The south pole eradicates pain swelling with its ability to generate heat and energy.

How Magnets Relieve Pain

Celestial magnetism continuously influences the lower and higher forms of life. Natural magnetism affects our body which also acts as a magnet unit. Every cell works as a micro magnet. As a result different organs have different powers of magnetic fields, depending on their biological activities.

Geomagnetic activity

Geomagnetic activity helps harmonize the different groups of cells in the body. Fluctuation in terrestrial magnetism causes heart attacks in people. Solar magnetic field increases with acceleration in solar activity as shown by sunspots or sun storms or solar flares, bringing about violent behavior in man and animals. Geomagnetic disturbances affect the bio-magnetic potentials of all living beings, leading to increased cardiovascular diseases and neuro-psychic disorders in man.

Modern permanent magnets have stabilizing effects on human organism and help bring about harmony and equilibrium in the bio-magnetic potential in various body organs. This explains the soothing effect of magnet in mental diseases.

Relax capillary walls

Magnets relax capillary walls when held against the skin. This boosts the blood flow to the painful area. Magnets interfere with muscle contractions, thereby preventing muscle spasms. Magnets also interfere with the electrochemical reactions that take place within nerve cells, impeding their ability to transmit pain messages to the brain.

Magnets do not have any side effects.

Instant Pain Killers

• Being instant pain killers, magnet therapy is very effective in curing sciatica, osteo-arthritis, and rheumatiod arthritis

• Magneto-therapy can also work in various cases of endocrinopathies

• It helps improve memory, intelligence, concentration and understanding.

• Magneto-therapy is effective in Leucoderma, Seborrhoea, Psoriasis, graying of hair, hair-falling etc.

• Magneto-therapy is effective in obesity.

• Dyspepsia, flatulence, diarrhea and common disorders can be cured with magnet therapy

Two-Sided Approach for Speedy Healing

To get maximum and benefit, it is recommended that one should wear a magnetic product at the point of pain, drink magnetized water and sleep on magnets. If worn at the point of pain, rather than further away from it, magnetic fields can penetrate deeper into the painful area. The effectiveness increases ten-folds if you drink magnetic water and sleep on healing magnets. Being totally safe, chemical and drug free, drinking magnetic water will tackle your problem from inside too. This two-sided approach will speed up the healing process.

Sleeping on very high strength magnets (over 2,000 gauss per magnet) allows the magnetism to be rapidly absorbed into the tissues and blood stream. This will radically improve the blood flow, so much so that almost all the excess fluid and toxins (puffiness and swelling) in your body will be drawn away and safely excreted. The increased blood flow will provide healing nutrients to the damaged areas and speed up the healing process.

Magnetism Measurement

Magnetism is measured in gauss. A typical home use magnet measures 10 gauss and can have no healing function. Strength of medical magnets is in the 450 gauss to 10,000 gauss range. Magnets should be affixed to the skin on the affected area. If there is no relief with the first few days, it should be re-fixed over the nearest acupuncture point. Even if there is no result for another 30 days, it indicates that the magnet would not work. In this case consult your therapist or try an alternative form of medication.

Magnetic Therapy Products

Many magnetic products have been designed during the course of development of magnet therapy. Some of the common items include mattress and pillow pads to help with most disorders e.g. insomnia, muscle and joint pain and fibromyalgia.

Magnetic bracelets and necklaces are helpful for arthritis, stress, fatigue etc. Magnetic shoe insoles relieve painful bone spurs, gout and improve circulation. Magnetic wraps for back, knee and wrist are recommended for arthritic joints inflamed tendons and carpal tunnel syndrome.

For more articles on alternate therapy visit: http://copperwiki.org/index.php/Main_Page

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/magnet-therapy-376413.html

About the Author:
Freelance writer specially in areas of sustainable living. Has 30 years experience in mass communications