Magnetic Bracelets - Benefits

Although the practice of using magnets to heal and cure is shrouded in controversy, practitioners of alternative medicine are of the opinion that, chronic pain can be managed up to a great extend with the help of magnets. Magnetic therapy involves the use of static magnetic fields.

Permanent magnets produce magneto-static fields, and these magneto-static fields are believed to be beneficial for the body. The permanent magnets used for magnetic therapy are composed of iron metal alloys such as nickel, iron and cobalt. These magnetic devices can be anything from insoles and bangles to necklaces and bracelets.

Blood contains hemoglobin which is an iron rich protein that transports oxygen around the body from the lungs. Deoxygenated hemoglobin is paramagnetic while oxygenated hemoglobin is slightly diamagnetic. This means that deoxygenated hemoglobin is attracted by a magnet and oxygenated hemoglobin is repelled by a magnet.

Wearing a magnetic bracelet next to your skin, should, in theory increase the circulation of blood (in case of deoxygenated hemoglobin). But the fact is that these magnets are too small and weak to have any noticeable effect on hemoglobin.

But advocates of magnetic theory claim that when a magnetic article like magnetic bracelet comes in contact with skin, the magnetic field produced by it, attracts the iron present in the blood. It increases the flow of blood to that area of the body. The increased blood flow, brings in more oxygen and nutrition to that area, which, in turn promotes healing.

There is another theory that explains how magnetism can help in pain management. According to scientific studies, human body contains ions. The ions carry either positive or negative electrical charge. Under normal conditions, there is a balance between the negative and positive charges in the body.

When this balance gets disturbed, the body begins to develop several medical conditions. They include pain, metabolic disorders, organ malfunctioning, etc.

The magnetic therapy uses the electromagnetic fields produced by permanent magnets to restore the balance of the charged ions. Because of the restoration of negative and positive charges, the body is restored to its normal healthy state.

According to practitioners of magnetic therapy, magnetic bracelets can help to reduce pain. It is thought that a negative field brings the disturbed metabolic functions back to normal, and thus treat many painful medical conditions such as inflammation or degeneration of body cells. They recommend the use of magnetic bracelets in the treatment of arthritis, as it is believed to reduce inflammation. However, there are no scientific evidence to support these claims.

In a few clinical trials involving the use of magnetic therapy, it has been found that people who wore magnetic bracelets experienced some degree of relief from their pain. But, it was not ascertained whether this was due to the use of magnets or due to a placebo effect.

We should also take into consideration the effect positive suggestion might have on the results. If a sufferer from chronic pain chooses to believe that wearing a magnetic bracelet will help him to reduce pain, then it might very well do so.

It is important to note that pregnant women and individuals who have are wearing pacemakers or any sort of electronic implants should not be wearing magnetic bracelets without the approval of their doctor. A magnetic bracelet should in no way be a replacement for conventional pain management treatment.

Many people belief that wearing a magnetic bracelet will work as a cure-all for all diseases. But the truth is that there has been very few scientific studies and clinical trials on magnetic therapy for healing the body. As such, any tall claims made by manufacturers of magnetic devices for healing are not supported by evidence and should be taken with a pinch of salt.