Researchers, including through the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, have investigated the medical benefits of magnets for relieving pain, speeding healing and restoring energy balance since their first recorded application by 16th century Greek physician Paracelsus. The founder of homeopathy, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, listed over 1,000 symptoms that magnets can treat, benefiting every system of the body, including digestive, respiratory, nervous and circulatory.
Procedure
Magnets are applied in two different ways -- localized and generalized. For localized conditions like back pain, magnets are applied directly over the source of the symptoms. For more generalized depression, magnets are applied on the palms or beneath the feet.
Function
Among the theories of how magnets relieve pain is that they change the potential electrical output of pain-sensing nerve cells, rendering them unable to relay those messages to the brain, while another theory poses that magnets stimulate the body's production of painkilling endorphins. Researchers are more certain on how magnets speed up healing, which is by increasing blood flow to the site of injury.
Precautions
Pregnant women and pacemakers, insulin pumps or other implanted devices should not place magnets on their bodies, nor should people with cancer, epilepsy, active tuberculosis, endocrine problems, acute viral illness or psychoses. Magnets should never be used on bleeding wounds, over sites of internal bleeding or by those taking blood thinning medication, while those with implanted screws or metal plates first must find out if they're made of magnetic material before applying magnets.
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