Magnetic Field Therapy

Magnetic field therapy is a safe, and non-invasive way to reduce pain and inflammation uses magnets to maintain health and treat illness.

The use of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and in particular of the magneto-therapy has had a notable increase in the last decade in rehabilitation treatment and provides a non-invasive, safe, and easy method to directly treat the site of injury, the source of pain and inflammation, and other types of disease. Magnetic field therapy was applied to promote bone healing, treat osteoarthritis and inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system, alleviate pain, enhance healing of ulcers and reduce spasticity and, also, extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields in the pico tesla and milli tesla ranges are aimed at improving neurotransmission and correcting local immune pathology, respectively. An analgesic and anti-nociceptive efficacy, similar to the opioid analgesic effect respect of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) is reported by scientist literature but the clear biological and biochemical mechanism of the effect of magnetic therapy on pain remains unknown. Also, some studies have shown that short-term exposure to electromagnetic fields influences several inflammatory cellular and neurological processes, such as patterns of cortical activation and inhibition and the activity of various neurotransmitters.

Above all, the magneto-therapy recognizes an important use in the field of both chronic and acute pain in musculoskeletal disorders using protocols with specific intensities and frequencies: magnetic fields applied in magneto-therapy for pain, in line with the criteria generally accepted in physical medicine. When used alone, the PEMF seems to have a good effect in reducing the pain intensity in low back patients, independently of the low-back pain condition.

How It Works

Your body naturally has magnetic and electric fields. All your molecules have a small amount of magnetic energy in them. The thought behind magnetic field therapy is that certain problems happen because your magnetic fields are out of balance. If you put a magnetic field near your body, it’s believed things will go back to normal.

Ions like calcium and potassium help your cells send signals. In tests, scientists have seen magnets change how these ions act. However, so far, there isn’t evidence that magnets have the same effect on cells when they’re in your body.

Magnetic field therapy used for pains in the following areas:

• Spine (cervical, dorsal and lumber)
• sacroiliac joint and coccyx
• hip joint
• shoulder, elbow, and hand
• knee, ankle and foot

Who Shouldn’t Use It

While it’s generally safe for most people to wear low-intensity static magnets, it’s not a good idea to have magnetic field therapy if you:

• Use a pacemaker
• Have an insulin pump
• Are pregnant