I’ve been criticised for being too logical and intellectual. Me! The happy meadow wanderer and animal lover. I guess I should be flattered. I admit to being the kid that many teachers dread – the one with endless questions, full of “whys” and “buts”. I’m not the type to go for anything unless I’ve done considerable research on the subject. You can’t sell snake oil to me, unless you can provide sufficient evidence from reputable sources that makes sense.

Call me a cynic, but I’ve been suspicious of alternative therapies like magnetic therapy – or magnotherapy – for ages. Come on, give me a break, how can something like a magnetic bracelet improve your health and alleviate pain? Then recently, when I couldn’t bear to see my sister continue suffering knee pain despite years of taking analgesics, I decided to take a fresh look at –gasp! – magnetic therapy. What I discovered was certainly intriguing.

NASA picture of solar wind streams hitting Earth’s magnetic field

Magnetism is a natural part of life, like water and air. All life, human, animal and plant, comes under the influence of the Earth’s magnetic field. Electromagnetic fields produced by the movement of electro-chemicals (ions) within the body control all physical and mental functions. We are actually bio-electrical beings, comprised of energy.

When an injury occurs and tissue is damaged, positively charged ions converge on the affected area, causing pain and swelling. For healing to take place, the injured site must be restored to its natural negative electromagnetic charge.

Electro-chemicals related to pain and inflammation have to be removed while oxygen and nutrients must be transported to the area. The application of a magnetic field to an injured area – popularly known as magnetic therapy or magnotherapy – helps restore the normal electromagnetic balance. The magnetic field relaxes capillary walls, as well as surrounding muscle and connective tissues, allowing for increased blood flow. More oxygen and nutrients are transferred to the injury site, while pain and inflammatory related electro-chemicals are more efficiently removed.

So why have magnetic bracelets been around for so many years? The wrists have many biologically-active points linked to the internal organs. Think about how acupuncture works. However, not all bracelets are created equal. Cheap ones are invariably made of cheap materials and have no therapeutic value whatsoever. My sister bought a cheap magnetic bracelet some years back and it was completely useless.

After studying various types of magnetic jewelry on the market, one caught my attention. This one incorporated four advanced technologies in one bracelet, Unipolar Neodymium Magnets, Far Infrared Ray Therapy (FIR), Negative Ions and Germanium. These four kinds of technology are designed to work together in a non-invasive approach to produce powerful therapeutic and healing effects. There were several styles for men and women, crafted from stainless steel, with additional gold plating for the ladies’ bracelet, for a durable finish.

If I shared just some of what I learned about the properties and benefits of Unipolar Neodymium Magnets, Far Infrared Rays (FIR), Negative Ions and Germanium here, this post would never end. So I’ll just touch on one technology – Unipolar Neodymium Magnets – for now. The other three technologies will be examined in other posts.

Apparently, NASA uses Neodymium magnets to help prevent bone muscle and muscle loss in astronauts during space flights. Neodymium magnets are also used in MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanning machines and other medical devices such as pacemakers. These magnets are often used in machines made for the health industry. Doctors use pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) for bone growth stimulation to treat broken bones that have not healed correctly. This method, approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in the 1970s, can mend bones that have not responded to other treatment. PEMF technology has also been used successfully to treat chronic wounds.

Here’s one to tickle your funny bone: one unusual use for Neodymium magnets is by people who believe that they were abducted by aliens who implanted devices into their ears. Plagued by incessant ringing in their ears, they use Neodymium magnets to disable these alien implants!

Neodymium Magnets exert extremely powerful magnetic fields, stronger than standard magnets. The main two types of material used in magnetic therapy or magnotherapy are Ferrite – sometimes called ceramic magnets – and Neodymium magnets. Ferrite or ceramic magnets: are made of a mixture of iron and barium. They are commonly used for crafts.

Neodymium magnets are a more recent discovery, and are made of iron, boron and the rare earth neodymium, which is why they are also called rare earth magnets. These magnets are very strong in comparison to their mass and, with proper care, hold their strength for many years. Neodymium magnets have 10 times the power of Ferrite magnets.

Unipolar magnets have the north pole on one side and the south pole on the other. Unipolar magnets tend to have greater penetration than bipolar magnets because the polarity is uniform on each side. The magnetic bracelet which aroused my interest uses Unipolar Neodymium Magnets.

Most magnetic therapy products use permanent magnets. Permanent magnets are materials that generate magnetic fields on their own and, with proper usage and care, never lose their strength. Over a period of 10 to 15 years of normal use, a magnet will lose only a tiny fraction of its magnetisation. Magnets can remain magnetised for 100,000 years.

So there you go. Magnetic therapy is basically the application of a magnetic field to an injured area to restore the normal electromagnetic balance in the body. This is supposed to aid healing and promote good health. Obviously, the efficacy of this kind of alternative therapy depends on the quality and intensity of the magnets used. According to medical researchers writing in the British Medical Journal in 2004, “Pain from osteoarthritis of the hip and knee decreases when wearing magnetic bracelets.” Their findings suggested that the benefit of magnetic bracelets was clinically useful, but higher strength magnets (such as Neodymium magnets) seemed to be needed. The magnetic bracelet I eventually chose to give to my sister uses 1,500 Gauss magnets.

In my next post, I’ll cover another technology – Far Infrared Rays – utilised in this particular magnetic bracelet.

Posted: February 24th, 2010 under Alternative Remedies, Joint Health, Wound Healing, pain relief.
Comments: 2

In order to preserve her youth, Cleopatra supposedly wore a magnetic amulet on her forehead, as seen in practically every picture of this ancient Egyptian queen. The ancient Greeks also used magnets for healing; even Aristotle was convinced of their healing power. In the 15th century a physician named Paracelus used magnets extensively for healing. A visionary, he is recognized as having brought medicine to the Dark Ages.

Magnetic therapy has been around for thousands of years and many cultures have used magnets for their alleged healing and therapeutic properties, including the Chinese, Indians, Hebrews, Arabs, besides the Egyptians and Greeks.

I’ve been a sceptic of magnetic therapy for years. To be honest, I’ve pooh-pahed many alternative remedies. Then cancer hit, and my mind opened to natural, non-invasive therapies. After all, acupuncture was practised by the Chinese since ancient times, yet it is only in recent years that mainstream Western medicine accepted it as a legitimate form of treatment for various ailments.

So recently, after doing considerable research into the subject of magnetic therapy, I bought a magnetic bracelet for my sister who lives overseas. She’s been suffering from pain in her knees for a long time and I hope the bracelet will help alleviate her pain. She bought a cheap magnetic bracelet for herself some years back and it did absolutely nothing for her.

The one I just gave my dear sister cost considerably more as it incorporates four kinds of technologies into one bracelet – Unipolar Neodymium Magnets, Far Infrared Therapy (FIR), Negative Ions and Germanium. Unipolar Neodymium Magnets – a recent discovery – are rare earth magnets which are 10 times more powerful than magnets commonly used in most magnetic jewelry. My sister’s new NewTeq4 magnetic bracelet uses 1,500 Gauss neodymium magnets. As for the other three technologies, well I’ll write about them another time. It’s late and I have to walk my dog :)

Magnetic therapy has its sceptics as well as its supporters. According to medical researchers reporting in the British Medical Journal in 2004, magnetic bracelets, worn by many for their supposed health benefits, do reduce the pain of osteoarthritis.

The researchers, from the Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth in the United Kingdom, had conducted a study on 194 patients, aged 45 to 80, who had osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. In the randomised controlled trial of magnetic bracelets for relieving pain in osteoarthritis of the hip and knee, patients were either given a standard strength magnetic bracelet, a weak magnetic bracelet or a non-magnetic, dummy bracelet.

The researchers found pain was significantly reduced in the patients wearing the standard magnetic bracelet compared to the dummy one. There was little difference between the weak magnet group and those wearing the dummy magnets after 12 weeks of the study.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, the researchers said: “Pain from osteoarthritis of the hip and knee decreases when wearing magnetic bracelets.” Their magnetic therapy research suggested that the benefit of magnetic bracelets was clinically useful, but higher strength magnets seemed to be needed.

They said: “We cannot be certain whether our data show a specific effect of magnets, a placebo effect, or both. Whatever the mechanism, the benefit from magnetic bracelets seems clinically useful.”

They pointed out that the benefits were in addition to existing treatments and these should not be stopped without the patient speaking to a doctor.

Will the magnetic bracelet I chose for my sister work for her? We’re giving it three months to find out. Fortunately, it was really elegant and expensive-looking, crafted in stainless steel with gold plating. My sister gasped at its beauty when she opened the sleek and stylish gift box. It looked lovely on her wrist, so I don’t think she’ll have any problem wearing it to work everyday. An ordinary piece of costume jewelry would have cost around the same price, so even if this magnetic bracelet turns out not to have any significant therapeutic or healing properties, at least it looks beautiful and will give my sister pleasure for a long time to come. Pat on the back for me!

Posted: February 22nd, 2010 under Alternative Remedies, Joint Health, Wound Healing, pain relief.
Comments: 1

Adult humans have 206 bones, while the skeleton of an infant contains 350 (the bones fuse together as you grow). More than half of your 206 bones are found in your hands and feet. No wonder joint care and pain relief is such big business. Imagine 206 bones moving together hour after hour, month after month and year after year. Cartilage, muscles, ligaments, and synovial membranes work together to protect and support the joints and allow you to execute various movements.

Without proper care, your joints can easily wear out and become inflamed and painful, a condition called arthritis. Should that happen, what can you do to relieve joint pain and improve your condition? Here are a few simple tips:

Massage
Use pure essential oils combined with mixing oil to massage the area which hurts. Lavender, for instance, has healing properties, while eucalyptus is soothing. Stroke in the direction of your heart.

Ice Therapy
As soon as you feel the pain beginning, you can apply ice packs hourly for 15 minutes each time. The following day, if the pain persists, you may continue with the ice packs for 15 minutes each time but reduce the hourly applications. Try doing this no more than half-a-dozen times that day.

Aromatic Warm Baths
Fill your bathtub with warm water and put in several drops of pure essential oils, like eucalyptus and lavender. Enjoy a nice, relaxing soak which will also help you to destress as well as relieve the pain.

Exercise
Low-impact activity such as walking, swimming and biking helps to build muscle around the joints to support them. Do this daily and you will probably lose weight too, which will reduce the burden and stress on your skeleton and joints, especially weight-bearing joints like the knees, feet, back and hips. My knees used to hurt terribly because of worn-out and inflamed joints. The pain was so excruciating that I couldn’t even get out of bed in the mornings. Going for regular walks helped me lose excess weight as well as build up the muscles around my joints. I’ve been pain-free for years now.

Nourish Your Joints and Connective Tissue
With age, glucosamine levels in the body declines. Glucosamine helps to keep cartilage and joints healthy. When the cartilage wears down, osteoarthritis results. Nutrients to support normal levels of synovial fluids, which help to lubricate the joints and tendons, are vital for joint health too. Feeding your body with antioxidants and nutrients which help to support your immune system also help to keep joint deterioration and pain at bay. Give your body the nutrients it needs for musculoskeletal health and healthy joints.

Walk Right
Are you wearing footwear which will support your joints and reduce impact when you walk? Is having the wrong gait causing your joints to wear out? The right footwear can help you correct your posture as well as the way you walk. Throw away shoes and sandals which don’t’ meet these criteria.

Watch Your Posture
Good posture helps to protect your back, legs and feet. Keep your spine straight and avoid lopsided positions.

Invest In Ergonomically-Designed Seating
Do you have at least one good ergonomically-designed chair at home or at work which supports your body correctly? Chairs which don’t support critical areas like your spine, legs, neck and arms can strain your joints and cause your body to ache. Low seats and chairs without armrests should also be avoided, as you may have to strain to get in and out of them.

Avoid Sudden Movements and Straining
Sudden twists and turns, stretching, lifting, jerking, pushing, pulling, bending, and reaching can hurt your joints and muscles. Keep your movements gentle, fluid and steady. Float like a butterfly.

Distribute The Pressure
Carrying a heavy plate? Use both your hands – palms and fingers- to distribute the weight. Avoid putting too much load on any single joint. Let the stronger joints and muscles of your body, like the shoulders and the arms, support a heavy load, rather than just trying to carry it with your hands. If you can sling it over your shoulders, please do so. In an episode of reality TV show, “The Amazing Race”. contestants (two per team) had to carry a full-grown pig on a pole for 200 yards. Those who tried to do so by using their hands only kept falling and dropping the carcass. On the other hand, one team – which included the oldest contestant – who put the pole across their shoulders managed to complete the task faster and with less effort.

Rest and Sleep
Healing is delayed when your body doesn’t get sufficient quality rest and sleep. Put your poor, aching feet up and give yourself a break!

Posted: June 16th, 2009 under Antioxidants, Exercise & Fitness, Immune System Health, Joint Health, Rest & Sleep.
Comments: 1