You have seen them on athletes like Dustin Pedroia and Curtis Granderson during their pro-sporting events. If you look around you may even see them on people that you know. I am talking about magnetic bracelets which are used for magnetic therapy or magneto therapy (MT), a treatment that involves placing magnetic material on the skin for prolonged periods of time. According to the American Cancer Society, some cells and tissues give off electromagnetic impulses. Some believe illness can disrupt the impulses and the magnets can restore the energy fields. Healing occurs by wearing a bracelet/necklace or applying it to a specific body part. The use of the magnets reportedly creates a magnetic field surrounding the area. This means that you are literally charged. The materials used to make the static magnets include copper, titanium and tungsten carbide and are put into everything from bracelets to necklaces and belts to shoes. Although, the primary use has been managing chronic pain associated with conditions such as arthritis, there have been other purported benefits. But the question is does it work?
First, let’s go over a short list of some of the reported wonders.
Pain Reduction
If you are an active individual consistently pushing your body to its limits, then this may be a reason to consider this form of therapy. Manufacturers state that the use of a static magnetic device will lead to a reduction in pain. This is especially true for chronic conditions such as heel pain, tendonitis, joint or back pain.
Circulation
Supporters of MT say that the magnetic field induced by the static magnets increases blood flow. Blood is made up or red and white blood cells. The red blood cells contain iron which is a charged molecule. So, wearing a magnetic bracelet would increase circulation by attracting or motivating those cells to move. This is especially true if there is inflammation caused by injury.
Energy Rebalancing
This claim is based on the assumption that illness is caused or causes an imbalance of energy. Proponents of this theory compare the human body to a giant battery. We constantly produce and use energy in different forms including electrical and chemical. Traditional Chinese medicine uses the ”chi” or “qi” model to represent and describe this flow of energy. In this form of medicine, a stoppage or accumulation of chi are the principle causes of everything from sickness to loss of strength to depression. MT is meant to rebalance the flow of energy. Once the balance of energy is restored, then so is your health.
Read on to see whether these benefits are true…