Magnetic Field Therapy
Topic Overview
What is magnetic field therapy?
Magnetic field
therapy uses magnets to maintain health and treat illness.
The
human body and the earth naturally produce electric and magnetic fields.
Electromagnetic fields also can be technologically produced, such as radio and
television waves. Practitioners of magnetic field therapy believe that
interactions between the body, the earth, and other electromagnetic fields
cause physical and emotional changes in humans. They also believe that the
body's electromagnetic field must be in balance to maintain good health.
Practitioners apply magnetic field therapy to the outside of the
body. The magnets may be:
- Electrically charged, to deliver an
electrical pulse to the treated area.
- Used with acupuncture
needles, to treat energy pathways in the body.
- Static (not
electrically charged) and stationary on the treated area for periods of time,
to deliver continuous treatment.
What is magnetic field therapy used for?
People
use magnet therapy for a wide range of health problems, including:
Studies on how well magnetic therapy works have been
mixed.1
Is magnetic field therapy safe?
Young children and
pregnant women should not use magnetic field therapy, because the safety of
this therapy is not proved. People who have medical devices or implants with a
magnetic field, such as a pacemaker, should not use magnet therapy, because it
could interfere with the function of the implant.
Magnet therapy
is not thought to have negative side effects or complications when it is
combined with conventional medical treatment.
Always tell your
doctor if you are using an alternative therapy or if you are thinking about
combining an alternative therapy with your conventional medical treatment. It
may not be safe to forgo your conventional medical treatment and rely only on
an alternative therapy.
References
Citations
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (2004). Research Report: Questions and Answers About Using Magnets to Treat Pain (NCCAM Publication No. D208). Available
online: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/magnet/magnetq-and-a.htm.
Other Works Consulted
- Murray MT, Bongiorno PB (2006). Osteoarthritis. In JE
Pizzorno Jr, MT Murray, eds., Textbook of Natural Medicine, 3rd ed., pp. 1961–1975. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
- Brown CS, et al. (2002). Efficacy of static magnetic
field therapy in chronic pelvic pain: A double-blind pilot study.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 187(6):
1581–1587.
- Eccles NK (2005). A randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled pilot study to investigate the effectiveness of a static
magnet to relieve dysmenorrhea. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 11(4): 681–687.
- Weintraub M, et al. (2008). Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Pain Management.
New York: Springer.
- Weintraub MI, et al. (2003). Static magnetic field
therapy for symptomatic diabetic neuropathy: A randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 84(5): 736–746.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
|---|
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD, MD - Family Medicine |
|---|
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Marc S. Micozzi, MD, PhD - Complementary and Alternative Medicine |
|---|
| Last Revised | June 29, 2011 |
|---|
Last Revised:
June 29, 2011
National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (2004). Research Report: Questions and Answers About Using Magnets to Treat Pain (NCCAM Publication No. D208). Available
online: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/magnet/magnetq-and-a.htm.
Seton is proud to have four hospitals – the only hospitals in Central Texas - that have earned the Magnet designation, the highest award for nursing excellence given by the American Nurses Association.