The medical applications of magnetism are no longer just relegated to such things as high tech diagnostic devices, like the MRI, and magnetic dental implants. The health claims attributed to magnets have many people donning magnetic jewelry, “sports magnets” and other forms of “bio-magnets.” Some studies have indicated that bio-magnetic therapy may provide an alternative form of therapy for injuries.
There has recently been a resurgence of interest in using the basic principles of magnetism to treat pain and discomfort. Various athletes wear flexible coated magnets in lumbar supports, in knee braces, wrist bands, elbow supports, ankle supports, sewn into clothing or in their shoes. These flexible magnets are very popular with golfers and can be found in many pro-shops. Magnetic bracelets are also very popular but generally make no specific health claims. There are even “whole body” magnet kits for sale that include a variety of flexible and wrap-around magnets for any part of the body! Some people sew flexible magnets into clothing to wear while exercising or training. But be careful wearing magnets, of any type, during contact sports could cause injury to you, your teammate or your opponent.
Magnet therapy dates back to the time of Plato when they were used to treat muscle spasms and gout. During the middle Ages, people placed magnets on the skin in an attempt to “attract diseases out of the body”. Today magnets are theoretically used to affect red blood cells (which contain iron) as they respond to a magnetic field causing the cells to become more active. Supposedly, more active red blood cells use more oxygen thereby causing a more rapid healing. Bio Magnetics International claims that magnetic therapy causes a quicker removal of lactic acid from overworked muscles, resulting in a faster recovery time, and a change in the migration of calcium ions that aid in the removal of toxins from arthritic joints. The magnet’s negative pole (N pole) appears to contain the healing energy. Negative electromagnetic fields appear necessary for healing to take place.
