Magnetic Medicine
By William Pawluk, MD, MSc; VP, N.
American Academy of Magnetic Therapy. March 2000

When a retailer has a customer who is interested in magnetics, the customer is likely to ask about how they are going to help. The most common reasons to use magnets are for pain management, but there are many other uses. Like so many things in pharmacy and clinical medicine, new knowledge is emerging all the time and traditional training, both undergraduate and postgraduate, does not keep up with the newest changes. Magnetic medicine is one of these new areas.

The body is transparent to a magnetic field.
Magnetic fields move through the body as if it was air. This makes them ideal for treatment. Unlike electric stimulation, commonly used in physical therapy, which hurts and can cause tissue damage, magnets do not harm tissues. They act very physiologically and usually the body returns to homeostasis quickly when they are withdrawn.
The kinds of magnets that you have in your store are static or permanent magnets. There is an extensive research literature on the effects of magnets and of magnetic fields on human and animal biology. However, this is a relatively new discipline in this country. As the author of a book reviewing clinical studies performed in eastern Europe over 30 years and as a physician who has used magnets for over 10 years, I am confident in their clinical science.

Actions of magnets
There are certain limitations to their use. There are also specific actions found in the biologic research. If you would like, I can provide a bibliography on these effects. Acupuncture effects, including those seen in acupressure treatments can be found by applying individual magnets over acupuncture points. This takes some awareness of the acupuncture points and their indications. Knowing the acupressure points would significantly expand the benefits you would obtain from magnets. Trigger points seen in fibromyalgia and post-polio syndrome also respond quickly to local use of magnets. Local application of magnets can produce local, and to some extent systemic, improvements in circulation. These effects are mostly seen in individuals who have compromised circulation and are not usually found in normal physiology. Muscle relaxation, a result of calcium channel actions of magnets, also causes vasodilatation. However, there is an independent action on all muscles in the body. This means that magnets are a great therapy for muscle tension and sprains and strains. Irritated nerves fire more often and transfer pain signals. Magnets applied directly over areas of pain reduce nerve firing and therefore pain. Pain reduction also happens when muscle tension and circulation improve. Magnets have an independent effect on reducing platelet aggregation. The level of action is comparable to aspirin and because it acts through a different mechanism it is additive to prostaglandin inhibitors. The anti-inflammatory effects of magnets operate primarily through antioxidative mechanisms. There may sometimes be temporary increases in inflammation, especially in new onset infections or autoimmune conditions. If the magnets continue to be used, the body would usually resolve this increase in inflammation with improvement of the underlying inflammation. One example of its benefit here is in spider bites or insect bites. Tissue healing is significantly improved with magnets, including fractures. Studies have shown that healing times can be decreased by one-third to one half. Since magnets improve circulation and increase healing they have significant effects directly on edema. Any sprained, strained or otherwise injured tissue produces edema. Edema retards healing and increases discomfort. Often even overnight benefits are found. Bruising reacts swiftly to magnets - the areas around the magnet remain bruised, but are clear under the magnets.

Risks and limits to their use
Magnets are not a panacea and there are some risks and limits to their use. Magnets should be used in conjunction with other therapies and generally there are no contraindications, including with the use of medications. The primary contraindication is implanted electronic equipment, such as pacemakers, defibrillators, cochlear implants, pain modulators, and insulin pumps. Most of the magnets that are available will not affect pacemakers unless they are brought directly over the pacemaker. People may inadvertently place magnets next to pacemakers and not produce any significant effects. While some pacemakers are shielded it is not always known which ones will react. To avoid risk, magnets should not be used by patients with pacemakers or in bed if the spouse has one. Pregnancy is a relative contraindication for risk management reasons. Even with MRI there are no currently accepted risks in pregnancy. Still, avoidance is the better part of valor. Individuals with acute pain in a body cavity, not previously evaluated or diagnosed should not be using magnets. Pain like other analgesics can be masked by magnets. Acute or emergent processes may progress because magnets are so effective at pain management. Most magnets produce occlusive effects, like other wraps or appliances, and can produce maceration if the skin is not aired regularly. Vasodilatation may also decrease blood pressures and orthostatic hypotension. This can be synergistic with medications that have similar blood pressure effects. Magnets are contraindicated in individuals on anticoagulants and with platelet disorders, such as, thrombocytopenia (ITP). They should also not be used with an actively bleeding wound. A clot should be allowed to form before using the magnets to heal the wound. They are also contraindicated in myasthenia gravis and hyperthyroidism. There are no problems with their use in hypothyroidism. Severe autoimmune inflammation is also a contraindication to magnets since the temporary aggravation caused by magnets can be so uncomfortable and the results when the conditions are severe are commonly poor.

Which magnets are the best?
This depends on the specific application being considered. There are some electromagnets approved by the FDA for treatment of non-union fractures, nerve conduction studies and incontinence and muscle rehabilitation. These require a prescription from a physician. Over the counter magnets are typically of the permanent type. Magnetic fields are limited at the edges of the magnets and drop off drastically from the surface. A 1000 gauss magnet loses its field strength by 80 percent at one inch from the magnet - reduced by the cube of the distance from the magnet. Consider the area to be treated and the depth of the problem tissue in selecting the right magnets. For a tennis elbow only a 1 to 2 inch magnet is needed. For low back pain or hip strain a larger magnetic support would be required, either a pad that is a solid magnetized sheet or a wider pad with multiple magnets in it. Magnets that are spread too far apart may be relatively insufficient in this circumstance. If a large area is covered by many strong magnets, there may be too much stimulation for some individuals.

Strength rating of magnets
The depth of the field is determined by the strength of the magnet(s). The rating is usually in gauss. The manufacturer's gauss rating is usually not the real surface strength of the magnets. Unless the manufacturer states that the advertised strength is the surface strength, the stated rating may be anywhere from 30 percent to 50 percent of the surface strength. Scientists accept that there are "biologic windows" at the level of the tissue being treated that require certain magnetic field strengths for actions to happen, i.e., the dose of the magnet. This window appears to be between 300 to 500 gauss. Weaker magnetic fields may still be effective but they will generally take longer to act. Alternatively they are also less likely to produce negative feedback, which happens between 10 to 20 percent of the time normally. In many ways magnets act like pharmaceuticals, with dosage considerations, frequency of use, etc.