Do Magnets Work?

The scientific explanation behind magnet therapy is that the magnetic fields produced by magnets (generating electromagnetic current) penetrates the human body thereby affecting the functioning of individual cells and improve the various disorders by taking care of the entire body system. Precisely how the magnetic fields do this remains a mystery, but there are several hypotheses. Some say that the electrical current generated by magnets reprieves the transmission of pain signals in the central nervous system. Others claim that magnets enhance blood flow, increasing the flow of oxygen, and resultantly diminishing pain and swelling. It keeps us pondering "do magnets work"?

What You Can Expect

It is a common belief that magnets work best when placed over a body area that has some degree of intact circulation. Therefore it is ideal to do magnet therapy under the guidance of an expert massage therapist or a doctor. Many people choose to use magnets on their own, however.

For those who question that " do magnets work?", here are some examples.

If you are experimenting magnets for arthritis or another type of pain, you may be advised to buy small magnetic systems that can be tightened to the ailing body part with elastic bandages, tape, or Velcro. These magnets generally produce a magnetic field ranging from 300 to 400 gauss--about ten times powerful than the magnets on your refrigerator. (The intensity of magnetic flux is measured by gauss.) Some people presume that magnets may work in part for conditions like arthritis because attaching them to the nauseous joint acts like a limiting movement, splint.

The time period to undergo a magnetic therapy depends on the type of pain you are experiencing. It can vary from five minutes to a number of hours everyday for several weeks. You can be suggested to use magnetic pillow or magnetic mattress for insomnia, which may generate as much as 4,000 gauss, which may generate as much as 4,000 gauss. (The gauss level should be higher when the magnetic source is farther from the body.)

To date, there has not been enough research completed to determine what, if any, gauss intensity is high enough to be deleterious. Due to MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machines produce magnetic fields as high as 15,000 gauss with no known deleterious side effects. Magnet therapists claim that the therapeutic magnets is are safe since it poses no health risk. Therefore those who pose the question" do magnets work?'' the only answer is, " yes, they work."

By Allan Wilson