Magnetic Therapy 

Magnetic therapy is defined as the use of magnets to relieve pain in various areas of the body.  Magnetic therapy dates as far back as the ancient Egyptians.  Magnets have long been believed to have healing powers associated with muscle pain and stiffness.  Chinese healers as early as 200 B.C. were said to use magnetic lodestones on the body to correct unhealthy imbalances in the flow of qi, or energy.  The ancient Chinese medical text known as The Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Internal Medicine, describes this procedure.

The word “lodestone” or leading stone, came from the use of these stones as compasses.  The word “magnet” probably stems from the Greek Magnes lithos, or “stone form Magnesia”, a region of Greece rich in magnetic stones.

Sir William Gilbert’s 1600 treatise, De Magnete, was the first scholarly attempt to explain the nature of magnetism and how it differed from the attractive force of static electricity.  Gilbert allegedly used magnets to relieve the arthritic pains of Queen Elizabeth I.  Contemporary American interest in magnetic therapy began in the 1990’s, as several professional golfers and football players offered testimony that the devices seemed to cure their nagging pains and aches.   

There are two theories that are used to explain magnetic therapy.  One theory maintains that magnets produce a slight electric current.  When magnets are applied to a painful area of the body, the nerves in that area are stimulated, thus releasing the body’s natural painkillers.  The other theory maintains that when magnets are applied to a painful area of the body, all the cells in that area react to increase blood circulation, ion exchange, and oxygen flow to the area.  Magnetic fields attract and repel charged particles in the bloodstream, increasing blood flow and producing heat.  Increased oxygen in the tissue and blood stream is thought to make a considerable difference in the speed of healing. 

Some of the benefits that magnetic therapy claims to provide include:  pain relief; reduction of swelling; improved tissue alkalinization; more restful sleep; increased cellular and tissue oxygenation; relief of stress; improved blood circulation; and anti-infective activity.   

It is an interesting fact that many centuries ago, the earth was surrounded by a much stronger magnetic field than it is today.  Over the past 155 years, scientists have been studying the decline of this magnetic field and its effect on human health.  When the first cosmonauts and astronauts were going into space, physicians noted that they experienced bone calcium loss and muscle cramps when they were out of Earth’s magnetic field for an extended period of time.  After this discovery, artificial magnetic fields were placed in space capsule

SOURCE: Magnetic Therapy - Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine by Kim Sharp