So my poor sister had to find some other way to manage her pain. Fortunately for her, I had been reading good things about Boswella Serrata, also known as Indian Frankincense or Shalaki. It’s supposed to be an effective anti-inflammatory and painkiller, while having no side-effects. I gave my sister a few bottles to try when she recently visited me from overseas. Well guess what? She called me a couple of weeks later to say that it began working for her within a week! She said that she used to be unable to get up from a low position, such as her bed, without holding on to something like a railing. Now, she has no problems at all. The inflammation and pain has diminished considerably. I was so happy for her.

Just thought I would share.

Now, if you’ve ever suffered from cold sores, you know that they are not a pretty sight. They can spread quickly all over the mouth, which is a very embarrassing as well as painful condition to be in. Once they are established, they can linger for seven to 10 days on average. I had meetings scheduled for the week ahead, and I was desperate to get rid of the blisters. I don’t know why, but I decided to try dabbing apple cider vinegar on the sores. I hadn’t heard about that being a natural remedy for cold sores but, somehow, I just felt it would help.

The vinegar was certainly soothing. I kelp applying it to my lips for the next few hours, using a cotton bud. Before I went to bed, I applied the apple cider vinegar again.

To my amazement, when I woke up the next morning, the cold sore had dried up and flattened out. It no longer hurt. Wow! That took less than 24 hours, the fastest healing time ever for a cold sore. No medicine has ever achieved that before for me.  Yay for another natural cure!

Anyway, my sister is singing such a different tune now. She’s so impressed by the improvements in her health so far that she’s saying that the Neways magnetic bracelet is absolutely worth it, and she’ll always wear it. She’s no longer resigned to living with aches and pains and she wants to get one for our Mom too. I’m so happy that she feels much better now as it saddened me that she was always in pain before. Thank God that the Neways NewTeq4 magnetic bracelet really works!

Many women recommend glucosamine together with methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM) to control inflammation and keep joints healthy. There are many natural food sources of MSM but very few for glucosamine. Good natural sources of glucosamine are the connective tissue of animals – such as in bone marrow and neck meat – and the exoskeletons of shellfish and crustaceans like shrimp, crab and lobster. To obtain glucosamine from animal connective tissue, one way is to make a broth from bones. In several Asian countries, dishes featuring large bones with marrow cooked in spicy gravy are popular, and fans relish cracking the bones open with hammers and sucking the marrow out of them.

Most commercial glucosamine supplements are made from prawn or shrimp shells. Actually, prawn shells are delicious when used to make soup stock. The next time you make a dish using shrimp, don’t throw away the shells. Slow-fry the shells – heads included – in a Chinese wok or bake them at a low heat in the oven to dry them out until crispy. Once the shrimp shells are nicely toasted and fragrant, pound them into a powder with a mortar and pestle, or put them in a grinder. Store the resultant powdered shrimp shells in a glass jar in the fridge. You can use this powder to make aromatic and flavourful dishes, including broth and fried rice.

If you prefer, you can skip making the prawn shells into a powder form. After toasting the shells in the wok or the oven, simply add them to boiling water and simmer to make delicious soup stock. However, without grinding the shells into a powder form and ingesting them, you won’t get as much glucosamine from the shells.

For the lazy cooks in our midst, you can buy tiny dried shrimp with the shells intact from Asian markets and grocers.

A word of caution, people with a shrimp allergy may not want to try this, although the allergy is usually attributed to the shrimp meat rather than the shell.  Taking an oral glucosamine supplement like Neways Glucosamine Plus is a safer and easier option for most people, and will also provide you with much higher levels of glucosamine than what you can get from food.

All of us are different, our ailments are different, the pathways are different and there is no one simple solution for everyone. Whether one chooses conventional medical treatment and/or alternative therapy is not for others to dictate or question. As long as your decision is based on well-researched information and you have peace with it, it should be respected.

Many women today are on synthetic aromatase inhibitors like Femara or Armidex to help stop the aromatase function where androgen is converted to estrogen, the hormone feeding two-thirds of breast cancers worldwide. Here’s a selection of tips (gleaned from various message boards) from some of these women on how to deal with certain side effects:

Pain

• Exercise, no alcohol, healthy diet helped with the pain and general well-being. Had to rest mid day, taking Femara at night reduced the pain, Supplements: calcium+ Vit D and Fosamax for the bones, glucosamine for the joints.

• I have to thank two people who posted on this board that they take their Femara with food and that they experience less side effects. I was taking it at night, just before bed. That night I took it with a granola bar and a yogurt and the VERY NEXT DAY the pain was 75% better. By the day after that the pain was gone.

• My oncologist advised me to take Glucosamine and Condrointin 3x daily from the beginning and it has helped so much it is hard to describe.

• Glucosomine/chondroitin/MSM has helped joint pain,

• I have found that taking TURMERIC (a natural ingredient in curry with anti-inflammatory properties) along with the glucosamine-chondroitin has helped a lot with the joint and bone pain.

• My feet hurt me so bad I could hardly stand and then I started taking Glucosamine, Chrondroitin and MSM Complex. It has helped a lot.

• Got relief for most of the side effects by taking Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM pills for joints and it helped greatly

• I started taking 1200 mg Caltrates and 1000 IU Vitamin E daily. This has helped me with joint pains.

• I started taking Pilates 4 years ago and it has helped enormously w/joint pain.

• I exercise 3 times per week and found yoga to be most helpful to reduce joint pain

• Strenuous exercise along w/increased calcium/vitamin D can help to reduce joint pain

• Never been an exerciser but started aqua-therapy which has all but eliminated muscle and joint pain. The key is range of motion and water therapy does the trick. The temptation is to slow down because of pain but exercise has made a difference for me.

• I am exercising 5 days a week, and exercise class in the pool with styrofoam weights two of those days. Water exercise is very soothing on joints and muscles, and can be as strenuous as you want it to be.

• Exercise regimen by riding my bicycle 14 or 20 miles round trip to work, depending upon the location. This has helped tremendously with my achy neck and right hip. I find that movement is much easier upon wakening.

• So many have mentioned foot pain. The only shoes I can wear are called ‘crocs’. if i try to go barefoot, i cannot walk more that four steps without flinching. these shoes are a godsend. however, they don’t look good with dresses!!! but, at this point, who cares? i take one vicodin in the morning as well as meloxicam, an anti-inflammatory med.; folic acid with b vitamins rid the migraines. i take one tylenol-3 at night for foot pain, as well as one extra strength tylenol, plus 100mg trazadone and 1/2 benedryl to help me sleep.

• After two years or so, I started having pain in my right hip and down my leg where it was uncomfortable to walk. I also developed neuropathy in both feet. ended up going to an acupuncturist only because I was desperate! The next day my pain was gone which absolutely amazes me. I still have the neuropathy, but I can deal with that.

• I was referred to a Certified Lymphedema therapist, and have been working with him for 6 months now. The diet changes he recommended included taking cod liver oil, it relieves the joint pain; taking vitamin C; and removing dairy products from my diet. It helps.

Inflammation

• Taking mobicosa, calcium. Vitamin D, glucosomine, fish oil and juicing daily adding spinach and other fresh greenery to juices to help reduce inflammation. Physiotherapy is helping somewhat.

Osteoporosis or Bone Loss

• I take extra calcium, glucosamine and antioxidants and eclasta [iv] once a year for osteporosis and misc antioxidants and fish oil tabs.

• Fossamax works very well (checking on dexa scan): 1 pill weekly.

Brain Fog

• Omega 3 for the brain!

• Take fish oil

• I have starting doing crosswords, Sudoku, even DS Brain Age, and it seems to make a difference.

Fatigue, Drowsiness, Depression & Sleeplessness

• I started taking Femara with a full stomach at night daily. I discovered that helped reduced my drowsiness for the following day.

• Exercise reduced drowsiness.

• Try Clonasepine+Trazadone for depression and GOOD sleep at night time.

Weakness

• I needed to add exercise to try to regain some strength in my body. I just began Qigong, a form of Tai Chi.

Hot Flashes & Night Sweats

• The night sweats were the worst! I found a solution in a product called “Chilipad” It is a pad that is placed between the mattress and top sheet. You just set the temperature to your liking and are cool throughout the night. This has been the greatest discovery as there is nothing like a good night’s sleep.

• It’s the hot flushes I find difficult to deal with so I am having acupuncture and Chinese herbs at the moment and it seems to have reduced the fierceness and number of them.

• I went on Clonodine (used for high blood pressure) AND IT STOPPED THE HOT FLASHES.!!

Vaginal Dryness

• Lubrication, lubrication, lubrication for the sex.

• Replens, lubricants and persistence for sex life

• Use Replens applicator every 3 days and lots of lubricant to have sex- no condom and really lather it on both of you.

• Am taking Replens and Ovestin cream for vaginal dryness, and have succeeded in having a sex life, even though less exciting.

• KY works somewhat for vaginal dryness.

Weight Gain

• I have been able to maintain my weight with exercise three times a week, yoga and a diet with mostly vegetables, beans, fruits, nuts and less than 20% of meat daily.

• Aquafit (working out in the pool puts less stress on your joints) really helps to control weight and keep fit

• EXERCISE (join the gym: be disciplined!) even with a joint pain. This is the best for those of you who gained weight: more weight – more work for joints…. I was on the treadmill even while on 6 months of chemo and 3 months of radiation.

Thinning Hair

• I went to the dermatologist about my hair. She gave me a special biotin, zinc piccolinate and suggested I use Rogaine. Something worked because my hair has stopped falling out and looks thick again. The zinc piccolinate interfered with my synthroid (throid cancer 9 years ago) so I now take it at a different time than I take the synthroid and that has worked out fine.

General Side Effects

• I take numerous supplements to counteract known side effects. I hardly feel the effects of Femara

• I take a multivitamin, vitamin D, red yeast rice (managing cholesterol level), glucosamine (easing joint stiffness), three ibuprofen three times a day for aches and pains, a stool softener and, most nights, Ambien. When I travel I need a separate bag for the medications and supplements. Considering getting a softer mattress.

• I exercise whether I feel like it or not, a walk…..even a stroll seems to help.

• I switched my diet to all organic animal products, especially dairy. Why take a pill to remove the estrogens and eat someone else’s?

• Keep the body moving – I have taken up water aerobics for fitness which does not affect the joints. I also have an ion cleanse detox & reflexology weekly which has me helped enormously. A soft bed has assisted & an understanding family & network of friends.

• I exercise in the morning, as well as in the evening. That definitely helps.

• stay as active as you can because I find that has been helping me. I used to be an avid rollerskater and I had not been since surgery. I recently went back about 1 month ago and can feel a difference. (2) PHYSICAL THERAPY – I started going two days a week and it has been working wonders. I feel like a new person.

• Most side effects have gone away entirely since I started to eat Oatmeal and Buckwheat 30 min. prior to taking Femara. I am also taking B12 vitamins.

• 50,000 icu Vitamin D, hot spa tub for fee/ankles, Requip for RLS, Effexor for hot flashes, STAY ACTIVE!

• DRINK TONS OF WATER DAILY and stay away from alcohol which makes your liver work too hard trying to process that in addition to all the drugs. Also, we know the drill – EAT RIGHT – fruits, vegetables – it makes a difference. I eat right – I don’t hurt so much. Eat crap – feel like crap. Yes, exercise too! I know it hurts, but just WALK if you can – keep moving! The Femara WILL take a toll on your bone density as well, take a calcium supplement.

• I have been able to control all side effects sufficiently. I take Osteo BioFlex (over the counter), 2 tablets once a day, which eliminated the soreness and stiff neck. I took red yeast rice extract, 2 capsules once a day, and that lowered my cholesterol even lower than it was before taking Femara.

• My oncologist, who is Chinese, put me on Omega 3 fish oil, acidophilus,(both 3 times per day) and melatonin almost immediately when I began my treatments and I was already taking milk thistle 2 or 3 times per day. I stayed on these all during chemo and kept them up after I finished it and radiation. I feel that these supplements have helped me. I do have some joint stiffness and a little pain but it’s not terrible and I plan to ask my oncologist about taking glucosamine for the joint pain.

• I take fish oil (4000 mg/day), glucosamine chondroitin (Metagenics ‘ChondroCare’ w/ 1500 mg/day of D-Glucosamine sulfate & 1200 mg/day of Chondroitin sulfate), zinc (100 mg/day), calcium citrate w/ magnesium (1500 mg/day), vitamin D3 (1000 mg/day), Ester C w/ bioflavanoids (4000 mg/day). Whenever I run out of any one of these, my symptoms worsen. It takes a while for them to improve after I replenish my supply.

• I feel GREAT…no joint or bone pain, no weight gain, have tons of energy. I exercise for a minimum of 60 minutes every day and have lost 26 lbs in the past year from weight watchers and exercise. I do a weight bearing exercise class 3x a week.

Of course, there are women who do not want to use aromatase inhibiting drugs. They choose, instead, to try to keep the cancer from recurring through various alternative remedies and lifestyle changes. Here’s an account from one such lady:

No Aromatase Inhibitors At All

• I must be a renegade here because I refused chemo and am now refusing Femara. After surgery (partial mast) and radiation I have gone on doctor-recommended fruit-vegetable diet, exercising 30 mins day at least 5 days a week. Vit D-3 (also doctor-rec) and doing Eastern methods to boost immune system (acupuncture, Qigong, Reiki). I’ve lost 15 pounds (wasn’t heavy anyway) just about given up alcohol and look and feel better than past 10 years. I read Ralph Moss “Questioning Chemotherapy” prior to my decision to decline that and am now reading what everyone here is saying about A/I. As a biologist I also appreciate the seriousness of totally upsetting the balance of the endocrine system It seems counter-intuitive to go on a drug that will age me and make me fat and crippled when the NCI itself says exercise and weight management are key to prevention. I understand that there is a risk of getting breast cancer back. But that risk is always there. Right now I want to choose wellness.

Germanium is a mineral with a diamond-like crystal structure and a unique response to infrared light. It acts as a semiconductor as it accepts and transmits electrons. Unlike most semiconductors, germanium has a small band gap, allowing it to efficiently respond to infrared light. It is therefore used in infrared spectroscopes and other optical equipment which require extremely sensitive infrared detectors. Germanium ceramic inserts in Neways NewTeq4 magnetic bracelets have the same crystalline structure as a diamond and are used for their unique response to infrared light, thereby enhancing the effects of Far Infrared Rays.

Germanium releases conversion electrons emitting shortwave radiation. As they come into contact with the skin, the electrons enable cells to attract more oxygen and enhance protective functions of the body. In its organic form, each atom of germanium is bonded to three atoms of oxygen, making it an efficient carrier of oxygen. In the body, germanium attaches itself to oxygen molecules. This has the unexpected effect of making our bodies more effective at getting oxygen to the tissues in our body. The increased supply of oxygen in our bodies helps to improve our immune system. It also helps the body excrete harmful toxins.

Dr. Otto Warburg, a Nobel Prize winning biochemist, stated that germanium helped to increase the delivery of oxygen to cells. He believed that boosting the oxygen supply to healthy cells slowed the growth of tumors.

The ‘holy waters’ at Lourdes, acclaimed for their healing properties, is said to contain large amounts of germanium. In its organic form as a trace mineral, germanium is present in many important herbs and medicinal plants traditionally used in healing, including ginseng, garlic, comfrey, and aloe. Germanium is known to enhance the immune system by stimulating production of natural killer cells and T-suppressor cells. Certain compounds of germanium have low toxicity to mammals, but have toxic effects against certain bacteria. This property makes these compounds useful as chemotherapeutic or cancer-fighting agents.

Germanium does not directly attack cancer cells. Instead, it stimulates the body’s immune system, supporting the treatment of cancer as well as other degenerative diseases.

Germanium is used in many ways. In Neways NewTeq4 magnetic bracelets, Germanium ceramic inserts work together with three other advanced technologies – Unipolar Neodymium Magnets, Far Infrared Ray (FIR) Therapy ceramic inserts, and Negative Ions ceramic inserts – to produce powerful therapeutic and healing effects.

I’ve never heard of magnetic jewelry which incorporates FOUR kinds of healing and wellness technologies into one item. Have you? Most magnetic jewelry just have magnets in them, and the magnets may not even be Unipolar Neodymium Magnets. Neways NewTeq4 magnetic bracelets are like the Rolls-Royce of magnetic jewelry.

If a non-invasive approach to healing and wellness is what you’re looking for and if, like me, you demand the very best, Neways four-in-one magnetic bracelets may be the smartest jewelry buy you’ll ever make. If I had a hundred bucks to spend on pain-killers OR ordinary costume jewelry OR beautiful jewelry with health-giving properties, I know what I would choose. With the NewTeq4 magnetic bracelet, the worse thing that could happen is that I’ll have a great-looking piece of jewelry to wear for years to come.

So I recently bought a Neways NewTeq4 magnetic bracelet for my sister who’s been suffering from pain in her knees for years. I’m hoping this bracelet will turn out to be as good as I’ve heard, because I don’t want my dear sister to be dependant on drugs any longer. It might take a while to see any results, as natural therapy usually needs time to work, but if it means long-lasting relief from pain, it will be well worth the wait.

Far Infrared Rays (FIR) are waves of energy, invisible to the naked eye, capable of penetrating deep into the human body, where they gently elevate the body’s surface temperature and stimulate major bodily functions. Far Infrared Rays are specific wavelengths of light from the sun, invisible rays of natural sunlight which are safe and beneficial to health. These rays of light are particularly abundant in the morning and evening sun.

Far Infrared Rays are radiant heat, also called infrared energy (IR). This is completely different from ultraviolet radiation (the type which burns your skin) and atomic radiation (the kind from a nuclear bomb).

FIR is also the ‘chi’ (or “Qi”) life force energy in humans and animals. We are constantly emitting far infrared rays without realising it. When FIR intensity in our bodies is high, the immune system functions properly, healing is more efficient and we feel healthy. When FIR declines, we become prone to disease and illness and tend to age more quickly.

Our bodies radiate far infrared energy through the skin at 3 to 50 microns, with most output at 9.4 microns. Our palms also emit FIR energy, between 8 and 14 microns. Palm Healing, an ancient Chinese practice, has used the healing properties of far infrared rays for 3,000 years. Palm Healing practitioners harness energy and heat radiating from their hands to heal, similar to Reiki healers. Recent research in Taiwan measured significant far infrared energy emitted from the hands of Chi Gong masters. Yogis in India also practise Palm Healing and recommend it especially for relieving eye strain. Thermal therapy has existed for thousands of years, and can be traced to ancient civilizations such as the Finns, the Romans, American Indians, as well as the Chinese.

Since ancient times, people have believed that exposure to sunshine can maintain and even enhance health. Sun therapy is a form of natural FIR thermal therapy. FIR is the band of energy which has the greatest output from the sun and this is split into three different wavelengths. Wavelengths in the region of four to 14 microns are the safest and most beneficial to life. My sister’s NewTeq4 magnetic bracelet has ceramic inserts specifically designed to produce Far Infrared Rays with a frequency identical to the sun spectrum’s greatest output.

The human body is composed of 90% water. Far infrared rays cause resonance in water molecules, activating them and ionizing them. Because of this effect, FIR heat therapy offers a variety of health and beauty benefits.

When Far Infrared Rays penetrate the skin, they come into contact with proteins, collagen, fats and water molecules. By stimulating micro-vibrations, FIR cause a thermal reaction which elevates tissue temperatures. Tissues are revitalised because of improved (micro & macro) circulation. This dilates the capillaries, supports blood flow and helps to improve oxygen levels. Stored toxins are flushed out more easily, as is achieving a higher level of cell health.

FIR Benefits:
1) Far Infrared dilates (expands) capillaries, which facilitates increased blood flow, regeneration, circulation and oxygenation.

2) Far Infrared aids detoxification. Scientists in Japan report that when FIR is used to treat clogged capillary vessels, heat expands the capillaries and then initiates the start of a process to dissolve hidden toxins. The elimination of fats, chemicals and toxins from the blood is promoted. Poisons, carcinogenic heavy metals, toxic substances from food processing, lactic acid, free fatty acids, and subcutaneous fat associated with aging and fatigue, excess sodium associated with hypertension, uric acid which causes pain – these are more easily flushed out of the body. Sebaceous glands are activated which helps purge cosmetics clogging the pores, via sweat and oil glands, rather than by the kidneys.

3) Far Infrared stimulates enzyme activity and metabolism. It has been claimed that FIR heat can even break down cellulite as it eliminates trapped water, fat and waste.

4) Far Infrared promotes the killing of many pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.

5) FIR promotes rebuilding of injured tissue by having a positive effect on fibroblasts, connective tissue cells necessary for the repair of injury. It promotes cell growth, DNA syntheses, and protein synthesis – all necessary during tissue repair and regeneration. This aids in the healing of burns, scar tissue and skin problems.

6) Far Infrared relieves nervous tension and relax autoneuro muscles, thereby helping the body make the most of its intended healing abilities. FIR eases soreness on nerve endings and muscle spasms, as muscle fibers are warmed up.

7) Far Infrared strengthens the immune system by stimulating increased production of white blood cells (leukocytes) by the bone marrow and killer T-cells by the thymus.

8) Far Infrared strengthens the cardiovascular system by causing heart rate and cardiac output increase, and diastolic blood pressure decrease. Extensive research by NASA in the early 1980’s led to the conclusion that far infrared stimulation of cardiovascular function would be the ideal way to maintain cardiovascular conditioning in American astronauts during long space flight.

FIR is gaining popularity as a safe method of natural health care and physiotherapy. For instance, far infrared thermometric therapy garments use thermal technology to provide compressive support and healing warmth to assist symptom control for arthritis, injury & pain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared. Far infrared heat is safe so it is used in hospital incubators to keep babies warm. With regard to domestic applications, the Japanese have integrated FIR technology into everything from hand warmers and blankets to water processors.

My next post will touch on Negative Ion technology and its use in magnetic bracelets for healing and wellness.

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.

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!