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Encyclopedia > Magnet therapy
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Magnet therapy, or magnetic therapy, or magnotherapy is a form of alternative medicine involving magnetic fields. Proponents claim that subjecting certain parts of the body to doses of magnetic fields has a beneficial effect. This belief has led to the popularization of an industry involving the sale of magnetic-based products for "healing" purposes: magnetic bracelets and jewelry; magnetic straps for wrists, ankles, and the back; shoe insoles, mattresses, and magnetic blankets (blankets with magnets woven into the material); and even water that has been "magnetized". The therapy is generally considered pseudoscientific by the mainstream scientific community, and marketing of the therapy as an effective treatment is heavily restricted by law in many jurisdictions, including the United States. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Shortcut: WP:NPOVD Articles that have been linked to this page are the subject of an NPOV dispute (NPOV stands for Neutral Point Of View; see below). ... Image File history File links Information. ... Alternative medicine is defined as any of various systems of healing or treating disease (as chiropractic, homeopathy, or faith healing) not included in the traditional medical curricula taught in the United States and Britain.[1] Complementary medicine is defined as any of the practices (as acupuncture) of alternative medicine accepted... The name Magnetic Fields has been used by: A 1981 album by Jean Michel Jarre; see Magnetic Fields (album) (Les Chants Magnetiques) A computer game developer; see Magnetic Fields (computer game developer) The Magnetic Fields, a band led by Stephin Merritt For magnetic fields in general, see magnetic field. ... Magnetic field lines shown by iron filings In physics, a magnetic field is a solenoidal vector field in the space surrounding moving electric charges and magnetic dipoles, such as those in electric currents and magnets. ...


Magnet therapy makes use of the static magnetic fields produced by permanent magnets; the related alternate medicine field of electromagnetic therapy involves the application of electromagnetic waves to the patient. Magnetic lines of force of a bar magnet shown by iron filings on paper A magnet is an object that has a magnetic field. ... The relevance of particular information in (or previously in) this article or section is disputed. ... Electromagnetic radiation is a propagating wave in space with electric and magnetic components. ...

Contents

Efficacy

Scientific tests of magnetic therapy for the treatment of wrist pain from carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic low back pain have concluded that there is no health benefit from magnetic fields in those cases.[1][2] Blinding of any study into the efficacy of magnetic therapy is problematic as the participants in the study may easily ascertain whether they have been issued with a genuine magnet or a placebo dummy.[3] This article is about the medical condition. ... The Double blind method is an important part of the scientific method, used to prevent research outcomes from being influenced by the placebo effect or observer bias. ... “Placebo effect” redirects here. ...


Legal regulations

A number of jurisdictions prohibit the marketing of magnetic therapy products with the claim that they offer any therapeutic effects. In the United States, for example, FDA regulations render it illegal to market a magnet therapy product that claims to treat any "significant" condition such as cancer, HIV, AIDS, asthma, arthritis, or rheumatism.[4] The United States Food and Drug Administration is the government agency responsible for regulating food, dietary supplements, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, biologics and blood products in the United States. ...


Criticism

Criticism from the scientific community views magnet therapy with disapproval since it is not explained within standard scientific protocol. Although there is a small amount of scientific evidence that appears to support its validity, [5] as a whole, magnet therapy is lacking scientific confirmation to be fully accepted in science.[6] Carey explains in A Beginner’s Guide to Scientific Method, that true scientific principles are rigorously tested according to the methods of the scientific method; hence, by applying techniques from scientific investigation, apparent fallacies of magnetic therapy can be pointed out.


False anomalies are mysterious suggestions that attempt to explain an event, and they create ambiguity in that they omit factual information from their explanation.[6] Advocates of magnet therapy claim that magnets can help decrease pain levels but they fail to explain exactly how this occurs. [7] For example, in double blind experiments patients frequently become aware they are wearing a magnetic bracelet; thus, the "controlled" experiment loses validity, and this information is often omitted in the experimental results.[8]


Another method of forming an anomaly is to over-rely on anecdotal evidence.[6] Supporters make false assertions such as magnets stimulate blood flow because blood is composed of charged ions, or that the magnetic field can decrease pain because it can affect pain receptors. [9] Science does not support such claims because they are not based on solid scientific principles such as controlled double blind causal studies.[6] Because the fallacies used to explain magnetic therapy are not supported by science, there are numerous theories which attempt to invalidate its effectiveness.


Criticism of magnet therapy focuses on scientific facts about magnets, including that:[10] Part of a scientific laboratory at the University of Cologne. ...

  • The typical magnet used produces insufficient magnetic field to have a lasting effect on muscle tissue, bones, blood vessels, or organs.
  • Researchers in high-energy physics laboratories can work for hours per day with their whole body immersed in magnetic fields far stronger than those from the bracelets, and there is no evidence they are more or less healthy than their peers.
  • No magnet healing manufacturer has demonstrated scientifically that its products achieve what they claim, and most cannot agree on what exactly the magnetic fields do.
  • Some manufacturers claim that the magnets help to circulate the blood by some interaction with the iron in hemoglobin, a major component of red blood cells. However in its ionised form, iron is not ferromagnetic and cannot be affected by magnets.[11]
  • Others claim that the magnets can restore the body's theorised electromagnetic energy balance. There are also claims that the south pole of a magnet acts differently on the body than the north pole. [1]
  • Many of the websites that provide information and resources promoting the benefits of magnetic therapy belong to individuals and companies that profit from the sale of magnetic therapy products.
  • Water is a diamagnetic material, and thus cannot be magnetized. In addition, attempts to sell "north pole" or "south pole" magnetized water to treat different conditions ignore the fact that magnetized ferromagnetic materials inevitably acquire both a north and a south pole; science yet to have found evidence for the existence of magnetic monopoles.[12]

Magnetic field lines shown by iron filings In physics, a magnetic field is a solenoidal vector field in the space surrounding moving electric charges and magnetic dipoles, such as those in electric currents and magnets. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Structure of hemoglobin. ... Human red blood cells Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate bodys principal means of delivering oxygen from the lungs or gills to body tissues via the blood. ... Ferromagnetism is a phenomenon by which a material can exhibit a spontaneous magnetization, and is one of the strongest forms of magnetism. ... Diamagnetism is a very weak form of magnetism that is only exhibited in the presence of an external magnetic field. ... Ferromagnetism is a phenomenon by which a material can exhibit a spontaneous magnetization, and is one of the strongest forms of magnetism. ... In physics, magnetic monopole is a term describing a hypothetical particle that could be quickly clarified to a person familiar with magnets but not electromagnetic theory as a magnet with only one pole. In more accurate terms, it would have net magnetic charge. Interest in the concept stems from particle...

See also

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Franz Anton Mesmer His Grave Franz Anton Mesmer (May 23, 1734 – March 5, 1815) discovered what he called animal magnetism and others often called mesmerism. ... Phrenology is regarded today as a classic example of pseudoscience. ... Pietro Longhi: The Charlatan, 1757 Quackery is a derogatory term used to describe questionable medical practices. ...

References

  1. ^ Carter R, Aspy CB, Mold J. The effectiveness of magnet therapy for treatment of wrist pain attributed to carpal tunnel syndrome. J Fam Pract 2002;51: 38-40.
  2. ^ Collacott EA, Zimmerman JT, White DW, Rindone JP. Bipolar permanent magnets for the treatment of chronic low back pain: a pilot study. JAMA 2000;283: 1322-5.
  3. ^ Finegold, L. Flamm, B. (2006). "Magnet therapy". British Medical Journal 332: 4. 
  4. ^ Magnets. CDRH Consumer Information. Food and Drug Administration (2000-03-01). Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
  5. ^ http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/329/7480/1450
  6. ^ a b c d A Beginner’s Guide to Scientific Method, Third Edition, Thompson-Wadsworth, 2004
  7. ^ http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Magnetic_Therapy.asp
  8. ^ http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/332/7532/4
  9. ^ http://www.texas-medical.com/magnetics/mag-articles.htm
  10. ^ Magnetic Therapy: Plausible Attraction? by James D. Livingston — a Skeptical Inquirer article
  11. ^ http://www.radiologyinfo.org/content/safety/mri_safety.htm
  12. ^ Brau, Charles A. (2004). Modern Problems in Classical Electrodynamics. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-514665-4. 

Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Skeptical Inquirer is a magazine of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) dedicated to debunking pseudoscience. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
magnet therapy, magnetic healing (1831 words)
Magnet therapy is a type of "alternative" medicine which claims that magnetic fields have healing powers.
Some supporters of magnetic therapy seem to base their belief on a metaphysical assumption that all illness is due to some sort of imbalance or disharmony in energy.
It is possible that the relief a magnetic belt gives to a golfer with a back problem, however, is not simply a function of the placebo effect or the regressive fallacy.
Magnetic Therapy for non-intrusive pain relief (787 words)
The theory behind magnet therapy is similar to that of acupuncture where the north seeking pole of permanent magnets are placed against the skin at specific points on the meridian channels of energy with the specific aim to improve energy and blood flow.
Since magnet placement requires some basic knowledge of the meridian, healthcare professional have developed a system where magnets are strategically placed within orthopedic supports and braces such as those for back supports as well as knee braces, ankle braces and elbow braces to name a few further simplifying self-administration.
Magnets should not be used on the abdomen within an hour after eating as it may interfere with peristalsis (wave-like contractions of smooth muscles of the esophagus, stomach and intestines).
  More results at FactBites »


 

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