Magnet Therapy : Ancient approach, new uses
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The medical use of magnets dates back more than 2000 years, to the times of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. In fact, Hippocrates, the Greek physician who gave us the Hippocratic Oath - used magnets to treat his patients.
Magnet therapy is more complicated than the name suggests. Effective therapy involves more than just putting a common household magnet on a sore spot. Magnets vary in type and strength. A household magnet, for example, is a static magnet. Research indicates that static magnets won’t help you feel better.
The magnets used are dynamic and can be turned on and off and adjusted for various treatments. Magnets with electrical energy are much stronger than static magnets. Researchers don’t know how exactly electromagnetic therapy works, but it might have to do with the body’s own magnetic properties. The nervous system, for example, is regulated by electronic charges. Magnetic resonance imaging or we can say in short MRI, a common diagnostic tool, works off the body’s magnetic resonance.
Research on magnet therapy is not plentiful. Still doctors and scientists know that some conditions respond particularly well to magnet therapy. For example, electromagnetic treatment speeds the healing of bone fractures, and some studies show that it may help ease the aches of rheumatoid and osteo arthritis (OA). Other data have shown that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) using pulsed electromagnetic fields directed at the brain is effective in treating depression, schizophreni, and even parkinson’s disease. A study in the Neurology indicates that magnet therapy can also aid stroke patients.
However, studies have shown that magnet therapy given outside of medical settings is not as beneficial.
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