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Biomagnetics

The term “Biomagnetic” refers to the effect of magnetic fields on living things.  The human body naturally produces magnetic fields.  Every biological event from the beating of the heart, the movement of the muscles, the transmission of nerve signals, and even the metabolism of a single cell occurs because of electromagnetic signals (ion flow) that are produced biochemically.  Sensitive electronic instruments, such as EEG, EKG, and EMG have measured the electromagnetic energy flow in various parts of the body.  Basically, the body is magnetic.  Magnets, worn at specific locations on the body, have been reported by numerous individuals to be associated with the reduction or total elimination of the perception of pain in that area.

The use of magnetics for pain relief has its origens in ancient China and it may be an offshoot of accupuncture therapy.  Biomagnetics have been used for centuries around the world to relieve pain, reduce swelling, improve circulation, and enhance energy and health.  They have enjoyed an explosion of popularity in the last decade since a number of golfing, tennis, football, and other sports professionals have endorsed their use for relief of pain and soreness from athletic activities.

Many people using magnets have reported a reduction in or elimination of the perception of pain associated with common ailments such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, gout, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, joint injury, and muscle stress.  There is, however, very little "controlled research" to support their claims or explain them.  At this point in time there are a number of popular "theories". 

One theory is that the magnetic energy flow in some way interferes with the transmission of the pain message to the brain, thus reducing or eliminating the pain experience.   Another popular theory holds that magnets also assist the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluid throughout the body and that has the effect of improving oxygen and nutrient delivery to the cells and tissues and removal of toxic and inflammatory wastes as well as excess fluid from the tissues.  When these things happen, the body naturally heals more readily.  In fact, medical researchers have found that application of pulsed electro-magnetic energy to the body can reduce the healing time significantly for fractures, lacerations, burns, and sprains.  It has also been suggested (again, this is purely theoretical) that, at the cellular level, the magnetic field also assists with the transport of vital nutrients and oxygen, waste poducts, and water across the cell membrane.  In this way, the magnetic field could support and improve the cell's metabolism.  That would definitely be a good thing, particularly if it affected the gazillions of cells in the body. 

Our favorite theory is that, when used for alleviation of pain perception, static magnets could have an effect on the sensory pathway at some point between the nociceptors (pain sensors) and the brain.  It is well-established that for any sensation to be experienced, it must be picked up by sensory neurons and transmitted to the brain along sensory pathways of the nervous system.  Once the message arrives at the brain, it is interpreted by the brain and a perception of pain is created.  The perception is the representation in the brain of a sensory message that the person can have an "awareness" of.  In fact, the pain perception takes place in the brain, so it is quite correct when someone says "The pain is all in your head."  It could be that the magnetic field in some way "scrambles" the pain message so that the brain is unable to recognize it.

We believe it is useful to think of the magnetic field as a competing sensory message that acts as a "roadblock" to the transmission of the chronic pain message at some point before reaching the brain.  Much in the same way that loud music can make a conversation unintelligible in the same room,  the magnetic stimulation might have the effect of just "drowning out" the pain.  That would help to explain why the magnetic item, placed in specific relationship to the locus of the pain is frequently associated with reduction or elimination of pain perception in that area.  It would also help to explain why wearing a magnetic item at one point on the body does not appear to be associated with a reduction or elimination of pain throughout the entire body.  In this way, the application of magnets to an area of pain might work in a similar way to the application of a heat pack or ice pack to the area.  The difference is possibly that our brain is not wired to receive or understand the signal it receives from the magnet, so it simply disregards the signal along with the scrambled pain signal.

Again, we emphasize that this is all purely theoretical, but it would make a great dissertation research topic for some aspiring doctoral student in physiology or neuropsychology.

So, if these theories are possibilities, why has there been so little research to prove or disprove them?  To understand this, one must understand the natural history of the research process.  It always (almost) begins with individual observation.  In research circles that is referred to as "naturalistic observation" or "clinical observation".  For example, my grandma used to wind a braided copper wire around her ankle to form a (very unattractive) ankle bracelet.  She swore to anyone who would listen that it stopped the pain she experienced in her foot, ankle, knee, hip, and lower back -- what she called her "sciatica".  That is called a naturalistic observation, n of one, or clinical observation.  It is the first step in the research process. 

Once we have umpteen clinical observations (which we certainly do at this time regarding the magnets), then researchers start offering theories to explain things (we now have a few of those, too).  The next step is forming hypotheses deriving from the theories.  It goes like this, if A is true then it follows that B and C should take place.  Eventually someone, usually a struggling master's or doctoral degree candidate becomes interested in it and conducts a controlled study.  (Although he/she might be passionately interested in biomagnetics and pain research, the real motivation here is usually to graduate.)

A research study is called "controlled" because it is designed to eliminate (control for) all the alternative explanations or factors that could be producing the main effect (e.g. maybe Grandma also had a nip of her hard cider when she put on the bracelet).

In controlled research, it is important to have a comparison group who are given a fake treatment.   That is not to be mean, but it is for the purpose of eliminating the "placebo effect" as a factor in the main effect we are studying.  The comparison group also has to be as similar as possible to the treatment group (e.g. same age distribution, equal sexes in both groups). The subjects have to be randomly assigned to either the treatment group or the placebo control group.  All other conditions and factors must be the same for both groups.  So, hopefully if the treatment is effective, the main subjects will show the effect and the placebo group will not (or not as much).  But that is just the beginning.  The research design also has to control for bias on the part of the researcher, since we are all human, so the researchers have to be "blind" to which subjects get the real treatment and which ones get the dud.

There are umpteen more considerations like these that have to be included in good controlled research for ONE study.  Even if the results are dramatic, a single study is never enough.  It has to be replicated (repeated) by other researchers at other institutions, and on and on before it is considered valid and reliable and the results can be believed by the scientific community.

This is the point at which the issue becomes more than just curiosity, or graduating whichever the case may be.  For an area of study to be repeatedly replicated, there must be a large number of individuals in settings which nurture research who are also motivated to do research in that area and who have funding, (that's right, big bucks) to conduct the research.  My Grandma would never have gotten past the committee, believe me!    But then the next thing to happen is the studies are given to the class of first year research design students to critique and they conscientiously point out all the flaws in the research and why the results should not be believed.  It is my belief that there is no such thing as a research study, no matter how well-funded, no matter how learned the researcher or research team, no matter how carefully designed, that is impervious to the critique of a class of freshman research design students.  That applies to medical, pharmaceutical, behavioral, social, economic, or political research.  But we just do our best anyway.

So, we are a long way from fully understanding the mechanisms or effects of Biomagnetics for pain relief.  That will have to await the arduous and expensive process of controlled research.  In the meantime, we appear to have a relatively inexpensive and benign alternative to the expensive, invasive, and potentially harmful medical approaches to the management of the perception of pain.

At this point in time, there have been a vast number of clinical observations, anecdotal studies (fancy word for what happened to one person), quite a few controlled studies with mixed results and very few replicated studies about Biomagnetics and pain.  For this reason, we cannot and do not make any representations or guarantees to you about their effectiveness for reduction of pain perception.  Any suggestion we offer is based solely on the virtual myriad of individual clinical reports and personal testimonials we have received in ten years in the Biomagnetics business.  Throughout this website and in any of our promotional materials, when the phrases "pain relief", "relief of pain", or similar phrases are used by us, they are being used in the popular (not medical) vernacular and refer to the reduction or elimination of the perception of pain, and not to any cure or reversal of disease or disease symptoms.

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ’S

Do they really work?  Yes.  There is no magic about the way magnets work to relieve pain.  Although there are many theories, there is not much "proven fact" about how they work.  At this point in time the number of individuals reporting success with magnetics for pain is enormous and immeasurable and it is extremely rare to hear they don't work.  That is actually the opposite of how it usually happens in any business.  People are far more likely to speak up (or scream) if they are unhappy and dissatisfied with a product than if they are satisfied.

Our favorite theory of how they work is that the magnetic field penetrates the skin and interferes with the transmission of the chronic pain signal at some point from the site of the pain to the brain.  If the “pain message” doesn’t reach the brain, there is no awareness of the pain.  Interestingly, the magnetic energy achieves this without affecting any other sensation.  So, there is no numbness as with local anesthesia or if ice or heat were to be applied to numb the pain.

How long does it take to work? Everyone is different with this regard, but many peoople get relief within 24 hours and occassionally it may take longer.  Some have reported that their pain eased immediately upon putting on the magnetic device and stopped entirely within a few minutes to hours.

Does one thing, like a bracelet, stop the pain in the entire body?  It is possible for this to happen since the sensory pain signal has to travel through the nervous system and up the spinal cord to the brain to be perceived.  If the magnetic energy interferes with the pain signal at any point along the way, the pain sensation may not register on the brain.  But more often we find that the magnets tend to work in regions of the body---bracelets for hand, wrist, arm, elbow shoulder --ankle bracelets or shoe insoles for foot, ankle, knee, hip, and lower back-- necklaces for headache, neck pain, upper back, and shoulders.

Do they have to be worn all the time?  Many people report the greatest success when they wear the magnets continuously.  It is frequently reported to us that when the magnet is taken off, the pain generally doesn’t come shooting back, but after a few days the ache may start to increase again. This is usually relieved by putting the magnet back on.

Are bigger or stronger magnets better?  As with many things in life, more is not better with magnets.  In fact, a very tiny amount of magnetic stimulation can have a huge effect when it comes to pain relief.  The strength of the electromagnetic signal that communicates the pain sensation is miniscule in comparison to the intensity of the stimulation from even a tiny magnet.  It is possible the magnet energy just “scrambles” the signal enough that it cannot be recognized or interpreted by the brain. 

Which type of magnet works best?  There do not seem to be any big differences in the type of magnet used.  Some of the jewelry is made of magnetized hematite, a silvery black stone (petrified iron oxide), and some of the jewelry and body wraps are made with small disk magnets mounted in the jewelry.  The most important thing seems to be where on the body the magnet is worn and how the magnets are distributed in that area.

How long do the magnets remain magnetic?  For a long time.  The hematite is magnetized by a process similar to the making of a zircon diamond.  Hematite is placed in an industrial “pressure cooker” where the heat and pressure are raised to extremely high levels.  The material is then zapped with very high voltage electricity.  The result is that the material is very strongly and permanently magnetized.  It might lose about 5% of its magnetic strength in 100 years--so most of us don’t need to be concerned about that.

Can more than one magnetic item be worn at once?  Certainly, and in some cases it may be helpful to wear a combination, such as ankle bracelets and shoe insoles for lower body pain or bracelet and necklace for shoulder pain.  They can also be worn along with other jewelry or metals without a problem.

Do the magnetics have any other health effects?  They seem to improve the circulation of blood and lymph in the area where they are worn.  The result of this is reduced swelling and inflammation of the tissues.  Also, because improved circulation means increased oxygenation of the tissues and more nutrients circulated to the tissues, as well as more efficient flushing of inflammatory toxins from the tissues, the body tends to heal faster when magnets are worn.  It has also been suggested that the magnetic field benefit’s the body by alkalizing the bodily fluids making the body less susceptible to disease.  It may be that the body actually requires a certain amount of magnetic energy to remain healthy.  It was found by NASA in the early space projects that when magnets were placed in the space craft the problems the astronauts were experiencing with “space sickness” disappeared.

Is the magnetic energy harmful in any way? Some people are concerned because they have heard that electromagnetic energy is harmful to the body.  That may indeed be the case, as in high voltage electromagnetic fields.  But biomagnetics are STATIC magnetic fields and present no danger to the body.