Magnet therapy: Difference between revisions
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'''Magnet therapy''', or '''magnetic therapy''', or '''magnotherapy''' is an [[alternative medicine]] claiming that certain medical disorders can be effectively treated by exposure to magnetic fields. |
'''Magnet therapy''', or '''magnetic therapy''', or '''magnotherapy''' is an [[alternative medicine]] claiming that certain medical disorders can be effectively treated by exposure to magnetic fields. |
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The American Cancer society however says that relying on these devices alone and "avoiding conventional medical care, may have serious health consequences." Also, some devices are untested and unproven and may pose some risk.<ref>[http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Electromagnetic_Therapy.asp www.cancer.org]</ref> |
The American Cancer society however says that relying on these devices alone and "avoiding conventional medical care, may have serious health consequences." Also, some devices are untested and unproven and may pose some risk.<ref>[http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Electromagnetic_Therapy.asp www.cancer.org]</ref> |
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=== Electromagnetic therapy for multiple sclerosis === |
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Laurance Johnston, Ph.D., suggests that "pulsed electromagnetic fields - although not a cure - can alleviate some MS symptoms."<ref>[http://www.healingtherapies.info/MSElectromagneticTherapy.htm www.healingtherapies.info]</ref> |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 10:58, 21 September 2006
Magnet therapy, or magnetic therapy, or magnotherapy is an alternative medicine claiming that certain medical disorders can be effectively treated by exposure to magnetic fields.
Adherents believe that magnetic fields from permanent magnets placed close to the body can cause bones to heal faster, relieve pain, and perform other forms of healing. It is most commonly used for joint disorders and back problems.
It is considered to be a pseudoscience by the medical and scientific communities.[1]
Description
Proponents of magnet therapy claim that subjecting certain parts of the body to doses of magnetic "energy" (or 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".
Science and magnet therapy
Scientific tests of magnetic therapy for various disorders have concluded that there is no health benefit from magnetic fields in those cases. [2][3] Under FDA regulations, it is illegal to market a magnet therapy product in the United States that claims to treat any "significant" condition (such as cancer, HIV, AIDS, asthma, arthritis, or rheumatism). [4]
Criticism of magnet therapy focuses on scientific facts about magnets, including that the typical magnet used is not strong enough to have a lasting effect on muscle tissue, bones, blood vessels, or organs. Some people working in physics research 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 product manufacturers have demonstrated scientifically that they achieve what they claim, and most cannot even agree on what exactly the magnetic fields do. Some 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. [5]
Others claim that the magnets can restore the body's theorised electromagnetic energy balance. [citation needed] There are also claims that the south pole of a magnet acts differently on the body than the north pole. [citation needed]
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.
Electromagnetic therapy
Electromagnetic therapy is a drug-free form of treatment which claims to apply electromagnetic energy to the body. When the body's electromagnetic energies are unbalanced, the electromagnetic fields "disrupt the body's chemical makeup resulting in disease and illness". [6] Scientists classify this unscientific and unsupported use of physical terms as pseudoscience: Using these terms gives an illusion of something being scientific, when it's not.
Electromagnetic therapy for cancer
The University of California Medical Centre, Moore Cancer Centre, has alternative therapies for cancer patients. Electromagnetic therapy, also known as electromagnetism, bioelectricity, magnetobiology, magnetic field therapy and magnetic healing, applies electromagnetic energy to the body to treat disease. Instead of using drug-based treatments, "energy medicine" proponents apply electrical, magnetic, microwave and infrared devices to treat illness.[citation needed]
The American Cancer society however says that relying on these devices alone and "avoiding conventional medical care, may have serious health consequences." Also, some devices are untested and unproven and may pose some risk.[7]
See also
References
- ^ http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/332/7532/4?ehom
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/magnets.html
- ^ http://www.radiologyinfo.org/content/safety/mri_safety.htm
- ^ cancer.ucsd.edu
- ^ www.cancer.org
Please include proper citation for #1[citation needed]
External links
- Magnetic Therapy: Plausible Attraction? by James D. Livingston — a well balanced and extensive Skeptical Inquirer article
- Magnet therapy in the Skeptic's Dictionary by Robert Todd Carroll, Ph.D.
- Magnetic Healing
- Magnet Therapy by Stephen Barrett, M.D. — a Quackwatch article
- Magnet therapy — an editorial in the British Medical Journal