The use of magnets in alternative form of medicine has recently seen a revival, but this form of therapy is not new. Magnet therapy has a history and a central role in Chinese medicine for more than 2000 years. This form of therapy has also been mentioned in earliest writings in India,Egypt,and Greece.

Magnet therapy is a natural method used to relieve pain, restore energy and bring harmony in all the bodily systems so that it can function at its maximum potential. Magnets have been scientifically proven to enable the body to regain its self-healing electromagnetic balance naturally. Strong evidence suggests that magnetic therapy may help to: Relieve Pain, reduce inflammation restores natural energy, increase blood circulation, prevent or reverse infection, promote metabolic processing of toxins and support the healing process. Magnet therapy is a non-invasive, safe, and effective form of alternative therapy. It has its roots in both prevention and cure of chronic diseases.

Benefits of Magnetic therapy are not local to any bodily organ. Their effect can be widely seen on the digestive, nervous, circulatory, and respiratory and all other systems of the body. It helps in reduction of pain and swelling of the bodily organs and it shows great results in the treatment of ulcers too. It helps to ease out the troubles of bowels and is a perfect treatment for constipation as well.

North Pole of the magnet provides assistance in the killing of bacteria and germs. It can also be used for the application to the boils and skin rashes. It can be used for the treatment of the pimples which can help ease the facial eczema and assist in cleaning the body internally as well as externally.

Advantages of magnetic therapy are immense as the heat and energy production can be used to reduce the pain and swelling in different organs of the body. It helps in removal of numbness from the body and provides assistance in the neuromuscular diseases. It can be achieved by deploying the south pole of the magnet. Magnetic treatment of any kind local and specific shows considerable effect by placing one kind of magnet below the organ and the other above the organ. These two magnets with different poles help the patient to get relief from the troubles of heart and brain.

Magnetic therapy can also be used in the cases of depression and it is recommended in the case of acute pain in any bodily organ. It is also beneficial as a part of yoga and regular exercises; involvement of the magnets helps in better circulation of the blood to the specific organs of the body thereby, helping in increasing the metabolism rate of the body.

Magnetic therapy is absolutely safe for everyone except in situations mentioned below.

• Individuals using pacemakers or transdermal drug delivery patches
• Expectant mothers
• People who use high voltage machinery or work with high voltage cables
• Children under the age of seven
• During electronic facilities usage for clinical examinations.

To understand how magnets work within the body you first have to understand some basic anatomy and physiology. This will help you understand exactly how magnets affect the body.

Your blood is a living tissue that circulates around your whole body via a network of arteries, veins and capillaries, it carries nutrients, oxygen, hormones, antibodies, heat, electrolytes and vitamins to the body’s tissues. Blood contains red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, plasma, electrolytes, hormones, minerals and iron.

Blood flows around the body in arteries, veins and capillaries. The blood is transported from the heart to the lungs where it picks up oxygen and then transports it to all the organs and tissues. Every part of the body depends on blood to provide the necessary oxygen and nutrients it needs to survive.

A magnetic field is the environment around a magnet in which magnetic forces act. Magnetic field lines represent the area around a magnet: magnetic field lines flow from the north pole to the south pole.

Magnets are composed of metal alloys such as iron, nickel or cobalt they will attract many different types of metallic particles. The blood contains iron and when therapeutic magnets are placed on the skin the magnetic field penetrates through the skin and into the surrounding tissues and blood stream. The iron in the blood is attracted to the magnetic field, this causes movement within the blood stream and the increased activity causes the blood flow to improve.

The increase in blood flow is localised to the area where the magnets are placed, unless the magnets are placed directly over a major artery such as the radial artery (the wrist pulse point) or the carotid artery (the pulse point in the neck). When magnets are placed over a major artery there is a much larger perfusion of blood flow so the magnetic field is carried further around the body.

When the body’s blood flow is increased oxygen, nutrients and hormones are distributed to the organs and tissues much more effectively and quickly. Your organs have a fresh rich supply of oxygen and nutrients to nourish them. Plus the tissues also gain oxygen, healing nutrients and hormones including endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkilling hormone.

All cells in the body share common components, regardless of their type. One of the common constituents of all cells are ions. Ions are positively or negatively charged particles that conduct electro- magnetic pulses from within the cell. The electro-magnetic pulses allow the cell to function. Without ions a cell cannot live.

In a normal healthy cell the ions are distributed around the cell with all of the positive ions on one side and the negative ions on the opposing side. The ions which live outside of the cell in the tissues will align with those inside of the cell so that opposing poles are together with the cell membrane between them; this allows fluid, oxygen and nutrients (fluid exchange) to move freely in and out of the cell, whilst maintaining the natural balance within the cell (homeostasis).

In a diseased (injured) cell the positive and negative ions do not stay on opposing sides of the cell. They are disrupted and scatter randomly around the cell. At the same time the ions on the outside of the cell membrane also become scattered as they try to find their opposing pole, this results in cellular imbalance. Extra fluid from the tissues outside the cell is able to penetrate the cell which in turn pushes vital nutrients, hormones and electrolytes (salts) out of the cell. The cell’s ability to function is greatly reduced and cellular degeneration begins which if not corrected will lead to the cell dying.

When a static magnetic field is applied over an injured (diseased) area, the magnetism penetrates into the tissues and surrounds the damaged cell. The magnetic field that is created outside of the cell will pull the ions, both inside and outside, back into alignment. The result is that as the ions once again return to their correct position within the cell. The extra fluid that has penetrated the cell is pushed out (via osmosis and diffusion) and returned to the surrounding tissues. The cell regains its natural healthy balance and any damage is repaired over a period of days.

Inflammation is the body’s reaction to invasion by an infectious agent, antigen or even just physical, chemical or traumatic damage. The inflammatory reaction is one of the body’s oldest defence mechanisms. When damage occurs the body’s automatic defence system starts the inflammatory process within seconds. Blood flow is firstly increased at the point of injury; the blood vessels widen (vasodilate) to allow oxygen, clotting agents (platelets) and white blood cells to penetrate the damaged tissues. Over a period of hours the concentration of white blood cells (WBC) increases at the injury site (white blood cells fight infection).

Individual cells are affected by the inflammatory process. Extra fluid that has migrated from the blood vessels passes into the damaged cells; this begins the process of disrupting the ionic balance of the cell. The chemical balance of the cell changes and cellular degeneration begins.

The presence of extra fluid,WBC, increased blood flow within the tissues causes the damaged area to enlarge and swell, this is commonly known as edema.

If untreated or caused by a chronic incurable disease process such as, arthritis, fibromyalgia and spondylosis, inflammation can become chronic. When removal of the foreign bodies that are causing the inflammation is ineffective damaged cells become fused together forming gigantic cells with multiple nuclei (the brain of the cell) which in turn eventually become granuloma.

When static magnets are placed over an area of inflammation, the magnetic field penetrates through the skin and deep into the tissues and blood stream. Damaged cells will react to the presence of a magnetic field by realigning their ions into the correct position. This begins the process of eliminating the excess fluid from within the cell. Cell damage will stop and healing of the cells will begin over a period of days.

Magnetic fields will also affect the white blood cells that are surrounding the injury and fighting the disease. White blood cells fight infection and disease by engulfing infectious and diseased and consuming them (phagocytosis). During this process the white blood cells release toxins into the blood stream. The body cannot detoxify and excrete these toxins safely so they are stored in the tissues as small hard pockets of fluid (cellulite).

When a magnetic field is present in the blood, toxins in the tissues are drawn out as the magnetised blood passes through the tissues. The toxins are then carried to the liver for detoxification and on to the kidneys for excretion.

When inflammation in the body is alleviated, the damage caused by the inflammatory process begins to be repaired by a fresh and rich supply of oxygen and nutrients. Cells that have been disrupted and de-oxygenised begin to heal and tissue regeneration starts. Excess fluid is eliminated from the body and toxins are removed. The circulatory system returns to normal and the heart does not have to work so hard to pump extra fluid around the body. Magnetic fields will stabilise all of these processes and aid the body in its recovery.

Conventional pain killing drugs like paracetamol and codeine based tablets (di-hydrocodiene, co codamol, co dydramol, tramadol and codeine phosphate) work by blocking the pain stimulus pathway. They interrupt the signal that starts at the point of pain (stimulus) and travel along the nerve pathways via the spinal cord to the pain receptors in the brain.

Depending on the type of drug, the signal may be interrupted at the pain stimulus or at any point along the nerve pathway to the brain. Pain killers only last for a short period of time. Depending on the type of pain killer and where they interrupt the pain pathway and the strength of the drug, they can last from 4-12 hours.

Magnets do not block the pain signal. They work on the cause of the pain, which is why static magnets have to be placed as close to the point of pain as possible.

Pain is not caused only by the onset of trauma (e.g. puncture wound) although you will feel pain if you experience a sudden traumatic injury. Trauma alone does not cause all of the pain. Pain is also caused by pressure on the nerves. This can occur without a traumatic injury, as with long standing chronic conditions. Joints wear and tear, chronic damage from earlier injuries or chronic inflammation can cause pressure upon nerves. The pressure upon the nerves is usually caused by swelling or inflammation around the injury, this extra fluid causes the tissues to swell and thus places pressure upon the nerve endings. Compression of the nerves causes constant pain stimuli to be sent to the brain. This causes the chronic constant pain that is often associated with long term ailments.

To relieve the pressure on the compressed nerves the excess fluid in the tissues must be removed. Once the pressure has been removed the pain will subside. Magnets do reduce the inflammation in the tissues therefore; they are very effective at reducing pain at the point of injury. Because the cause of the pain has been removed ( i.e. the inflammation) the pain relieving results will last for a much longer period of time than pain killers, which are just blocking the signal. Whilst the magnetic field is reducing the inflammation it is also improving blood supply to the injured area. The extra blood flow brings fresh rich oxygen, nutrients and hormones. One of these hormones is endorphin. Endorphin is known as the “happy” hormone as it is responsible for mood enhancement. The other function of endorphin is to kill pain naturally. As increased blood flow reaches the injured area the concentration of endorphins increases and pain is reduced.

When the magnets are removed from the area of pain, the cause of the inflammation will return, as the magnets are a treatment for the inflammation and poor circulation, they are not a cure for any disease process. Depending on the severity of the injury or ailment the effects of the magnets can last days, weeks or even months. Each individual will experience different time scales for the return of the pain as the disease process for each individual is slightly different.