To Your Health
Magnetic Healing?

by Paulette Avery, R.N., M.S.N.

Although I consider myself open-minded, some healthy skepticism kicked in when someone recently suggested that I write about magnets and health. I knew some people used them, but I had never heard or read anything that gave any scientific support to their effectiveness. Shortly thereafter, I received a new health magazine with an article about magnets. It reported a placebo-controlled study of 50 subjects by Dr. Carlos Vallbona, a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Baylor University, which found that magnets were effective in decreasing the pain of post-polio syndrome. Additionally, although the magnet treatment lasted only 45 minutes, the pain relief that resulted persisted for weeks, or even months in some cases. I decided to find out more.

Apparently, on the topic of magnets, Dr. Vallbona had been a skeptic, too. Some of his patients had told him that magnets had relieved their arthritis pain. Though glad they had found relief, he doubted the magnets were responsible. But later when he suffered from arthritis in one knee, he tried the magnets and was astonished when the pain completely disappeared within minutes.

Another recent study, published in the American Journal of Pain Management, found magnets effective in treating foot pain caused by diabetes. Though again the sample was small, just 24 subjects, the research was well designed.

So maybe there is something to all the claims about magnets. But a lot more research involving larger groups of subjects is needed, and many questions remain unanswered. For example, it isn t known which types of magnets provide the most beneficial effect or exactly how magnets work to relieve pain.

According to the book, Magnet Therapy: The Pain Cure Alternative, by Ron Lawrence, M.D., Ph.D., and Paul J. Rosch, M.D., magnets relax capillary walls and increase the flow of blood. This increased circulation may partially explain their healing effect. Fluid exchange increases as well, allowing faster removal of toxins such as lactic acid from tissues along with an increase in oxygen flow.

Anecdotal reports of success with magnets abound. Many people have found pain relief from arthritis, headaches, injuries, and a variety of other ailments. Magnets are touted as a cure for insomnia, even cancer. My skepticism returns when the claims become too broad.

What about safety? Lawrence and Rosch state in their book, "We are convinced the magnetic fields from permanent magnets used to relieve pain and promote healing are extremely safe." Most of the literature on magnets supports this view. But after reading an article by Dr. John Upledger, D.O., author of Craniosacral Therapy, I m inclined to be cautious. Dr. Upledger spent many years as a researcher at Michigan State University, working closely with physicists. Though he recognizes the power of magnets to heal and relieve pain, he sees the potential for harmful effects, particularly at the cellular level. He fears there may be adverse responses that aren t recognized as such because they occur long after the magnet therapy and in seemingly unrelated areas of the body. He cautions, "In our eagerness to help a patient or client, we may be carried away into the reckless use of magnets and deny any relationship to destructive occurrences that do not seem immediately related to the use of those magnets."

If you are using magnets already or decide you want to try them, here are some guidelines:

Don t treat yourself for chronic pain conditions; check with a healthcare professional first.

Use them only when the cause of your pain has been diagnosed.

Don t use magnets to replace medications that may be necessary to your health.

Be sure the company you buy from is reliable and offers a full money-back guarantee.

My conclusion? The jury is still out. I m convinced magnets work, but I ll feel better about their use when more is known about how they work and whether or not there are any harmful effects.

Paulette Avery is a registered nurse and a freelance writer specializing in health issues.