"Magnetic force is animate or imitates life; and in many things surpasses
human life, while this is bound up in the organick body."
William Gilbert, 1600
This statement, as quoted in Biomagnefics: Considerations Relevant to Manned
Space Flight, is a reminder that individuals have been investigating magnetics
and its effect on life systems for many years. This newsletter reports some
interesting findings which have been published in "mainstream" journals.
Feel free to share these with your clients. Also, consider ideas for your own
research as you review the results of these diverse studies.
• A double-blind randomized trial with 50 participants experiencing postpolio pain was conducted. Twenty one of the participants were assigned to a control group and received placebo treatment with devices which were identical in size and shape to the permanent magnets. Twenty nine participants received active treatment with permanent magnets. The statistical analysis showed that the "application of a device delivering static magnetic fields of 300 to 500 Gauss over a pain trigger point results in significant and prompt relief of pain In postpolio subjects." [Valbona, C., Hazlewood, C., & Junda, G. (1997). Response of pain to static magnetic fields in postpolio patients: A double-blind pilot study. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 78,1200-1203.]
• A study was conducted to determine the effect of a magnetic field on synovitis in rats. (Synovitis is inflammation of a joint lining). A control group of rats received no magnetic exposure, and the treated group was kept in a cage with a 3,800 gauss magnet on the bottom of the cage. The results "showed that synovitis and the inflammatory process are significantly suppressed by a magnetic field." [Weinberger, A., Nyska, A., & Giler, S. (1996). Treatment of experimental inflammatory synovitis with continuous magnetic field. Israeli Journal of Medical Science, 32, 1197 -120 1.
• Permanent magnets were used to treat the postoperative wounds in 21 patients who had cosmetic plastic surgical procedures. The reduction in postoperative pain was sufficient to allow decreased use of analgesic medication. When significant bruising occurred which normally takes two-three weeks to resolve, the magnets resolved the problem in three-five days. The study concludes that the clinical benefits included "a reduction of edema, antiinflammatory effect, and analgesic effect. The most plausible mechanism should be considered the enhanced blood flow to the site of surgery, which is pooling oxygen and nutrients thereby speeding the overall healing process." [Man, D., Man, B., Plosker, H. & Markov, M. (1997). Effect of permanent magnetic field on postoperative pain and wound healing in plastic surgery. AbstractBook.- Second WorldCongress forElectricityand Magnetism in Biology and Medicine, 3 10 - 3 11
• In a laboratory study, several rodent and human cancer cell types were exposed to permanent magnetic fields for one hour to determine what percent of the cells would survive compared to unexposed cells. The permanent magnetic field was extremely strong (11.6 Tesla = 116,000 gauss) and was generated by sophisticated equipment. Some of the surviving cell fractions included 25% for human breast carcinoma, 40% for human ovarian carcinoma, and 4% for human mouth carcinoma. [Tata, D., Vanhoutten, N., Brook, C., &TrItton T. (1994). Non-Invasive permanent magnetic field modality induces lethal effects on several rodent and human cancers: An in-vitro study. Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research, 35, 386.]
• The effect of static magnetic fields and pulsed electromagnetic fields on bone healing in guinea pigs was investigated. The static magnetic fields were produced using neodymium magnets, and the magnetic field strengths that the guinea pigs were exposed to averaged about 500 gauss. The study concluded that "both static and pulsed electromagnetic fields seemed to accelerate the rate of bone repair when compared to the control group." [Darendeliler, M., Darendeliler, A., & Sinclair, P. (1997). Effects of static magnetic and pulsed electromagnetic fields on bone healing. International Journal of Adult Orthodontic and Orthognathic Surgery, 12, 43-53.]
• Magnetic field reduction. In an early study to investigate the possible effects of reduced magnetic fields on astronauts as a result of space travel, mice were kept in mu-metal containers which greatly reduced exposure to the earth's magnetic field. "In contrast to the normallythriving control[s] ... the mice in the mu-metal cylinders have presented a characteristic, rather bizarre, picture." "At an early age, large numbers of mu-metal mice have become docile and inactive. Many mice exhibited the highly unusual behavior of lying on their back for prolonged periods of time." [Research by Halpern, M. as reported by Busby, D. (1967). Biomagnefics: Considerations Relevant to Manned Space Flight Washington, D. C. : National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Contractor Report CR-889).]
• A plastic surgeon used a metal frame and magnet to retain a skin graft. The surgeon was pleased with the result and he speculated that the "precise modus operandi of the magnet in skin grafting is not yet isolated. It is possible both that the action results from the simple compression between the raw surface of the graft and the tissue, and that the magnetized area, as such, may play a favorable role In stimulating tissue growth." [Seltzer, A. (1968). -Skin grafting by magnetism. Journal of the National Medical Association, 60,482-483.]
The purpose of this edition of the newsletter is to stimulate your thinking
and to show that much research on blomagnetic therapy is being published in
"mainstream" journals. Whenever research is summarized and reviewed
out of context, there is always the potential for misinterpretation.
Remember that for every published study that shows a magnetic effect, there
are probably many studies conducted which show the absence of an effect and
are not published. The Biornagnetic Therapy Association is as interested in
knowing when magnets don't work as in when they do work. Submit your studies
regardless of the results!
[Special thanks to J. D. "Herb" Herbert, CTB,
who contributed to this edition of
the Biomagnetic Therapy Association Newsletter.]