Magnet therapy involves the use of magnets to treat and fight various diseases. It is also called magnetic therapy or bioenergy therapy. Proponents have suggested that magnet therapy works to fight a number of different diseases. These claims have not been evaluated and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not support the belief that magnet therapy does work. However, if it does work, it works as a result of the energy fields produced by the body.
History
People as far back as the sixteenth century believed that magnet therapy worked. When it originated, a doctor named Paracelsus believed that magnet therapy worked because it attracted iron to the magnet, and thus helped to eliminate disease. In the Middle Ages, it was believed to work on poison exposure, gout and arthritis. The therapy became popular again during the 1970s when a research named Albert Roy Davis claimed magnet therapy could work as a cure for cancer, arthritis, infertility and gout by changing human biology and affecting cells, nerves and cell structure.
Process
Magnet therapy works by attaching magnets to the body. A single magnet can be attached or a multiple magnet can be attached. The magnets are constant magnets, so the magnetic energy does not change. Patients may be advised to keep a magnet on only for a few minutes, or they may wear the magnet for weeks at a time. Magnets are worn as jewelry or parts of belts. They are wrapped around the body or applied to sources of pain and attached by bandages. They can also be worn in shoes or attached to bedding.
Why it Works
Those who believe magnet therapy works now believe it works because of the magnet's ability to correct bodily energy. A healthy body regularly produces electromagnetic impulses. When a person is in pain or has a disease, the electromagnetic impulses experience an interference. Proponents of magnet therapy believe magnets can be used to correct the distorted electromagnetic energy. Thus, the magnets can correct the abnormalities in the body--in nerve cells or cells. Magnetic therapy is also reported to increase blood flow and oxygen flow, which can also help to "cure" or treat pain or illness, according to proponents.
Benefits
Magnet therapy has been reported to work as a cure for headaches, migraines, stress, broken bones, cancer, circulatory problems, arthritis and other degenerative diseases.
Potential
The American Cancer society suggests that the majority of success stories associated with magnet therapy are inconclusive and anecdotal. While there is one apparent medical study that suggests magnet therapy works, pioneered by Baylor College of Medicine, this study has been widely criticized within the medical community. The FDA does not endorse claims that magnet therapy works, and the Federal Trade Commission has taken action alleging false advertising against companies that have claimed that magnetic therapy has proven health benefits.
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