Research Findings
Magnetic therapy has long been accepted as a standard medical treatment
in Asia, parts of Europe, Australia and is now gaining acceptance
in the United States and UK.
The negative field magnets are those most commonly used to alleviate
the pain of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, as well as
rashes, burns and general aches.
Musculoskeletal pain
Most of the research into magnetic therapy has been carried out in
Japan. Early research findings were so impressive that the Welfare
Ministry of Japan granted permission for the manufacture of magnetic
pellets to treat rheumatic disorders as long ago as 1972. In one study,
magnetic pellets sold over-the-counter included a questionnaire within
the pack and, after 11,648 replies were analysed, researchers estimated
that the magnetic patches were over 90% effective.
A double-blind study in Japan involving 121 patients with severe,
chronic shoulder pain showed that 82% of those treated with high-strength
magnets showed significant improvement within 4 days. In those treated
with low-strength magnets, there was only a 37% improvement rate.
In a similar trial, electromagnetic patches were found to be 80.2%
effective in relieving painful, stiff shoulders while non-magnetised
placebos were only 6.3% effective.
In another double-blind study involving 222 patients with acute and
chronic muscle and joint pain, 90% of patients
reported significant improvement within five days, compared with only
14% in the placebo group.
Depression
In 1996, a study published in The Lancet found that magnetic therapy
could help to treat depression which was failing to respond to antidepressant
drugs. Seventeen people with depression were randomised to receive
either magnetic treatment, or placebo (dummy magnetic treatment) and
were given both treatments at one time or another so they acted as
their own controls. After 5 days of daily magnetic therapy to a particular
part of the brain, there were significant reductions in depressive
symptoms, and in 11 out of the 17 people, pronounced improvement lasted
for as long as 2 weeks after the 5 day treatment period. This was
suggested as a safe alternative to electroconvulsive therapy that
is sometimes resorted to in cases of severe, non-responsive depression.
Diabetic foot pain
A recent study in the American Journal of Pain Management found that
magnets significantly decrease foot pain experienced by people with
diabetes who have a condition known as peripheral neuropathy. During
the
four-month study, participants wore pads containing
low-intensity magnets continuously on one foot, and non-magnetized
pads on the other foot. The pads were switched during the study without
them knowing which was active and which was not.
The results showed that the magnetised pads were significantly more
effective in reducing diabetic foot pain than the inactive pads. Magnet
therapy therefore appears to offer “a real breakthrough”
for treating diabetic pain which is often difficult to control.
Menstrual pain
A study in Korea, in which magnet therapy was assessed in 23 student
nurses with painful menstrual periods applied therapeutic magnets
on the lower abdomen of 11 nurses, and dummy magnets were used with
the other 12. Those wearing the real magnets experienced significant
pain relief compared with those using placebo.
Post-polio pain
In 1997, a double-blind, placebo controlled study was conducted in
the US, investigating the effects of applying a static magnetic field
of 300 to 500 Gauss over a pain trigger point in 50 people who had
pain following polio infection. Those using active magnets experienced
significantly more pain relief than those using dummy magnets. Of
the 29 patients who wore active magnets, 76 percent reported a decrease
in pain after only 45 minutes. Less than 20 percent of those with
the placebos felt an improvement.
None of the patients reported any side effects. Most people who have
had polio experience chronic pain which is difficult to relieve with
drugs. The fact that magnetic therapy can produce rapid relief is
an important finding, and the researchers concluded that the “application
of a device delivering static magnetic fields over pain trigger points
results in significant and prompt relief of pain.” The mechanism
by which pain is reduced remains unknown, however.
Chemically induced pain
In 1998, a group of volunteers were reported to have agreed to have
a chilli pepper solution injected under their skin. Four neodymium
magnets were then applied to the area and found to reduce pain levels
significantly!
